


A Classic Case of Ghosts in the Head

by Azkaabanter



Series: Everything is Temporary, so Hold On While You Can [2]
Category: Among Us (Video Game), Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Banter, DNF, Dream and George’s bullshit, First Kiss, Flashbacks, Friendship, From chapter 2 on I wrote every word of this while listening to Jubilee Line by Wilbur Soot on loop, Hurt and comfort, Idiots in Love, M/M, PTSD, Protective George, Romance, Saving the World, Sequel, Sexual Situations, Trauma, Violence, War, epic battles have entered the chat, getting over trauma, idk how I left that out before that’s kind of important, supportive friends
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-21
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:09:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 25,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27661826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azkaabanter/pseuds/Azkaabanter
Summary: You’d think there would be a limit of how much bad luck could fall on a group of people.Orphaned? Bad luck.Kidnapped and launched into space? Bad luck.Made to watch their closest friends being murdered one by one? Bad luck.Crashing back on Earth as a war was beginning to brew? Really, really bad luck.They could’ve survived that hell and maybe burned through all the bad luck allotted to them by the powers that be if life wanted to treat them fairly for once. Maybe they could settle down and work through their trauma and grieve in a healthy way, but no. Of course George couldn’t have Dream to himself that easily.—In other words, Dream and George get safely back to earth, want to settle down and avoid anything to do with fighting or death for the rest of their lives, and mourn the deaths of their friends. But because they’re Dream and George, of course there’s another force of evil to fight along with fighting their inner demons and learning how to love each other.Sequel to “Dreamy, Believe Me (I’ll Have Your Heart on a Platter)”
Relationships: Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Technoblade & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF)
Series: Everything is Temporary, so Hold On While You Can [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1978264
Comments: 50
Kudos: 160





	1. Crashing, but Not Quite Burning

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, guess who’s back?!? A big ‘ol thank you to my beta @TheLittleStar_tm for not only fixing my grammar, but coming up with literally half the plot for this fic. I love you very very much <3

If George was being honest with himself, the only thing he remembered about the re-entry was the relief that flowed through his body when he realized that the ship was aimed to crash right off the coast.

Neither him nor Dream knew how to pilot a fucking  _ space ship _ \- could they do some coding? Yes. Re-wire some fuses? Absolutely. This however, was pretty much a ‘hope for the best’ type of deal.

They obviously had hoped hard enough.

He could smell the smoke and feel water pooled around his legs, so they’d obviously landed. But there was one thing-

He didn’t know where he was or what had happened. Was he even alive? The hell if he knew.

George’s ears rang loudly as he slowly attempted to move all of his limbs, eyes shut tight to ward off bright light.

Arm, arm, leg, leg, fingers, toes, head. 

Everything seemed to be in working order.

“-lo? Hello?” George furrowed his brows slightly at the muffled voice- somehow he knew it was right in front of him, but it felt a million miles away. He felt a heavy weight on his chest: the air in his lungs felt stale. There was pressure on his shoulders for a moment while he attempted to force his fuzzy brain to make out what the person was saying. Then, a burst of cool air hit his face.

“Dream?” He tried to croak out, though his throat was dry and his voice crackly from screaming during the crash. He really just said the first thing that came to his head, but honestly who else could it be? Dream was the only one left, after all.

But then again there was one little detail to interrupt that- Dream was severely injured even  _ before _ they went down. How could he possibly be digging the brunette out in his condition?

George’s heart rate picked up.

What if Dream was dead? What if after surviving a fucking galactic murder spree he died from re-entering the atmosphere? 

George tried to peel open his eyes. He couldn’t lose Dream. Not after he’d finally said what he felt. 

The scent of salt water brushed his nostrils and the warm rays from the sun danced on his cheeks as George regained his sight, however what he saw made the blood in his veins turn to ice.

It was Sapnap, but not as he’d been on the ship. His eyes weren’t red ringed from crying, and his knuckles weren’t busted from punching the glass of the airlock door. His face showed nothing but concern and love, dark hair blowing gently in the salty breeze, soft smile lighting up his face.

“Sapnap?” He asked quietly, though his tongue felt like cotton in his mouth. George closed his eyes for a moment to blink the dark spots away, but when he opened them, Sapnap was gone. In his place was a different man, worry lines running deep around his eyes. 

“Are you okay, man?” He asked, voice gravelly but laced with concern. George didn’t know what to say. 

No, of course he wasn’t okay. He just saw his dead best friend standing in front of him looking very much alive, which was literally impossible because again, George watched him die. He didn’t know if Dream was alive either, which scared the absolute shit out of him. Honestly, he didn’t know if  _ he  _ was okay. He was in a  _ crashed spaceship  _ after seeing most of his friends dead or being killed…

Things didn’t seem too good.

So George just shook his head as well as he could in response. The man seemed to take it as permission to start pulling him out of the wreckage, slowly as to not hurt him. Other people that the brit didn’t recognize also helped- what looked like a girl a bit younger than himself and another much older man. The entire time they were clearing the glass and twisted metal from around him, all he could think about was Dream, and in the back of his mind, that moment of Sapnap’s sarcastic grin.

Him and Dream hadn’t said a word to each other since the confession that wasn’t about the actual landing- there was nothing to say: their feelings were on the table. At the time it was a much more pressing matter to make sure that they, you know, lived to actually be together. Maybe. The details weren’t really all too fleshed out; all George knew was that he wanted Dream to be his. He wanted to protect him and make him smile and hold him… it was sappy and shit, but it was true.

Dream’s face when he’d confessed that he wanted to be with George was an image that the brunette absolutely refused to forget. His yellow eyes were bright with hope, but his body was relaxed with his comfort and confidence. It made George feel all warm and fuzzy to think that even after almost killing the guy, Dream could still feel that  _ safe _ around him. Especially in his compromised state.

So naturally when he was finally pulled out of the wreckage and laying safe on the sand, the first thing out of his mouth was-

“Where’s Dream?” The original man- the one who had been Sapnap for a split second- gave him a questioning look.

“Who’s Dream?” He asked, George started to panic.

“Uh, blonde hair. Green eyes, freckles. Lanky, super injured, giant scab on his cheek and neck-“ He continued to list things, rambling in a panicked tone. The girl was knelt at his side, tending to a nasty gash in his shoulder that George hadn’t even noticed because of the adrenaline coursing through his veins. The man knelt next to him, a gentle smile on his face.

“We pulled him out, but he was unconscious. I didn’t know if maybe there were more people on board that we didn’t know about.“ George squeezed his eyes shut to push back some memories. 

_ There were plenty of other people on that ship. _

“My grandfather took him back to town, he needed to go to the medic as soon as possible.” The girl said. She was focused on her work: George admired her white-yellow hair cut carelessly to her shoulders, but also the way she stuck her tongue out minutely as she dressed the wound. It reminded George of how Dream would pull his bottom lip between his teeth when he was trying to strategize or solve a problem.

“Is he-“

“He’s alive, and seems like he’ll stay that way.” She cut him off gently, sensing his worry. George let out a strangled breath and nodded, allowing his eyes some rest once again.

“Is there anyone else on the ship we should be looking for?” The man asked again. George shook his head no. He didn’t exactly want to talk about it. “Is there something we should call you?”

“My name is George.” He replied simply. Talking was making him dizzy.

“My name is Sam, and the girl dressing your wounds is Niki.” 

“Thank you.” He said sincerely. Sam and Niki. George decided he liked those names.

After a few more minutes of the two newcomers quietly discussing his wounds and the ship, Sam finally gathered George’s stiff body into his arms in the same style that the brunette had used to carry Dream to medbay days ago to make their way back to what George assumed to be a village. If anyone had asked him, George wouldn’t be able to tell them how long the walk was even if he tried. He was too busy being hit by the fact that him and Dream were finally  _ home _ .

They were back on Earth, and the nightmare was finally over: they’d never have to step foot on that god forsaken hunk of metal ever again. He’d never have to walk past the security room and think of Tubbo’s eye hanging from the socket and his head smashed in. He’d never have to go into admin and see Wilbur’s guts on the floor, or glance down the hallway from navigation and think of Skeppy’s body in a puddle of vomited blood.

And that fucking airlock was gone forever.

And comms, where he’d seen Dream broken kneeling over Bad’s dead body, that was gone too.

It was all gone, so he’d never think about it again. He’d suppress it for the rest of his life, until it was all forgotten.

Then he’d finally be able to be happy, because he’d have Dream.

“We’re going to take you to the medic, where your friend is.” Niki’s voice broke the tense silence that filled the air once the trio reached the village. George didn’t miss the stares directed at him, and definitely couldn’t ignore the snippets of whispers about him.

‘ _ Another one? Where are these people coming from?’ _

_ ‘I heard a crash a while ago- I didn’t think it was actually serious-’ _

_ ‘We shouldn’t let them stay. What if they’re spies from the army?’ _

That last one puzzled him. What army?

The village itself was homely and cozy- the leaves weren’t the shade of yellow they had been months ago when he’d left- they were much darker and varying in shade. They crunched satisfyingly under Niki and Sam’s boots, Sam’s wool jacket rough against George’s cheek. The houses and shops which lined the cobblestone street were all small to medium sized, outfitted with brick or wood walls and sizable front yards buried in foliage for the children and pets to play in. George didn’t know where on the globe they had landed, but the season was obviously shifting to fall or maybe was even part way into it. The air smelled fresh and damp, as if it had just rained the day before. There were birds chirping and smoke from chimneys was drifting up into a wonderfully blue sky that was just beginning to darken at the horizon as the sun began to dip.

George decided he would never take the little things for granted ever again.

Soon he was brought to the door of a small wood framed building on the corner of main street. A weathered sign that read ‘Apothecary and Medical’ in a curly font hung over the front window, and a small bell chimed as they entered.

The inside of the quaint store had shelves stocked with glass jars full of herbs that were probably every color under the sun, and the scent that hit his nose when they entered was incredibly strong, but not in a bad way? George found himself enjoying it, but he was more anxious that he couldn’t see any beds or medical instruments in the whole shop.

“Ah, you found another one?” A tall man with fluffy brown hair, maybe George’s age, came out from behind a clerk’s desk at the front of the store. His face was a mess of concern as he approached, Sam placing George back on the ground to gain his bearings again. He didn’t want to admit that his legs were so shaky he probably would’ve fallen without Sam’s support. “My name’s Eret, it’s nice to meet you.” He said, a strained smile on his face. George offered a tired nod in return. Despite his exhaustion, he was twitchy from anxiety.

“I’m George” He introduced quickly, shaking the taller’s hand. “Is Dream okay?” Eret hesitated before answering, eyes darting to Sam’s.

“Assuming the blonde guy that was brought in a while ago is Dream, he’s okay now, just resting.” George felt an immense weight lift off of his chest. Thank fuck. “I was about to give him a first round of healing potions right when you arrived. Almost none of his wounds are fresh from whatever you went through, but the older ones are concerning to say the least.” Eret led the three newcomers behind the desk and through a creaky wooden door. Niki took over the task of helping George walk, and he was very grateful for it when his knees started to buckle.

“What do you mean by concerning?” George pressed as they reached the end of a long hallway. 

“I mean that whatever he went through should’ve ended differently based on his condition. I don’t know what happened to you two, but I’ve never seen such terrible wounds and the victim able to be saved. Honestly I don’t know why you didn’t put him out of his suffering and let him respawn-” Eret opened the door that punctuated the hall, the words on the frosted glass reading ‘ _ staff and patients only _ .’

“Because where we were, there was no respawning.” George said. He could feel Niki tense up at his side for a moment, quickly proceeding to pull him through the door.

The room he entered was fairly small and sparsely decorated- it was obviously meant solely for patients to recover in. A few white-linened beds rested against the wall, and the well-trodden wood floors creaked with each step taken. All of the beds were empty, except for the last one. In the last bed against the wall on the opposite side of the room was Dream, the man who made George’s brain turn into syrup, sitting upright and reading a thick book.

“Dream!” George exclaimed, relief flowing through him. Sure, he already  _ knew _ Dream was alive, but seeing him in person solidified in George’s brain that he hadn’t lost the most important person in his life. Dream immediately looked up and gasped excitedly as he threw the book to the side, smile lighting his face the moment his gaze landed on George. The brunette took a short moment to admire him- yellow eyes and shaggy hair that he knew was a dark blonde. Not to mention the scab that was beginning to scar which ran from the outer corner of his eye down almost to his chin- a remnant of his battle with the Imposter on the ship. He would never voice it, but George thought it was beautiful and added to how incredible he already looked.

He felt a guilty tug in his stomach at the memory of driving that knife down into Dream’s chest. He knew that he was forgiven, but...

Still he felt so incredibly guilty.

George knew that the bulk of what happened to Dream wasn’t his fault, but he had gotten so injured on the trip, and didn’t complain at all until he was basically on his deathbed. Even as he was pretty much dying he made sure to kill the Imposter because he was concerned for  _ George _ .

His brow furrowed.

What did George do to show his thanks for having his life saved? Try to stab his savior through the heart. What a great friend  _ he _ was. Were they even friends?  _ What were they _ ? Whatever, whatever. It didn’t matter, at least not then. 

“George!” Dream greeted as Niki led George to the bed next to his. He sat down gratefully- he hadn’t realized how much of a toll just walking through the apothecary exhausted him. “I woke up here and I tried to get them to take me back to you, but they said ‘ _ absolutely not you look like you’re going to keel over any second _ ’” He quoted, eyes scanning the brit then narrowing when he saw the crudely fastened bandage on George’s shoulder. “Are you okay?” The brit looked over at his wound- he’d honestly somehow forgotten about it.

“Oh, oh yeah. No I’m okay.” George reassured. Eret, Niki, and Sam all took separate places around the room. “You’re the one who was an inch from death a few days ago-”

“Oh  _ come on _ now.” Dream said cockily. “After all the shit I’ve been through, I’m basically immortal.” George rolled his eyes.

“Yeah right. What was it that you were saying?” He thought back to their time on the ship, specifically to the not so fun memory of Dream bleeding out on the floor of comms. “ _ George, you have to save me George! I’m bleeding out! I need a big strong man to carry me to the medbay and stitch my sorry ass back together! _ ” He recounted dramatically, bringing the hand attached to his uninjured arm up to his forehead in a fake swoon. Dream scoffed, but the smile never left his face.

“That’s definitely  _ not _ what happened.” He said, laughter present in his tone. It filled George with a tingly warmth to know that despite the situation, he could still make Dream laugh and be happy and all of that mushy stuff. He opened his mouth to continue the teasing, but the clearing of Eret’s throat stopped him in his tracks.

“I’m sorry to interrupt gentlemen, but I really need to start fixing you up.” Eret said. George nodded, relatively sure that Dream had done the same. The tall man walked over to an old wooden cabinet which was bolted to the wall and opened it carefully, uncovering the slew of different sized and shaped bottles inside. Eret pulled out a few light blue potions, put them on a cart, then wheeled them over.

“After you’re done being treated, I’d like to hear your story. If you’re up to it, that is.” Sam said from his place leaning against the wall next to the door. His kind smile took away from any gruffness his voice held; George found himself relaxing further into the thin mattress, feeling safe in the presence of people he hoped he could call new friends. Sam looked to Dream, who seemed confused. “Oh, allow me to introduce myself.” He chuckled. “My name is Sam, and I’m the mayor of the village.” 

“It’s nice to meet you, Sam.” Dream replied politely. “Thank you for saving George, and helping us out here. We’ll find some way to repay you-” Sam waved a hand haphazardly.

“Don’t even think of it. You two have obviously been through a lot-” 

‘ _ That’s an understatement _ .’ George thought.

“-so it’s the least we can do.” 

Eret approached George with one of the potions in hand, standing between his bedside and Dream’s. George looked at the blue liquid warily: even though he knew in his rational brain that these people were trying to help him, his monkey brain couldn’t stop thinking that he was still in danger, and couldn’t trust anyone but Dream. He knew he needed to be rational.

“What potion is that?” George asked. Eret raised an eyebrow and looked down at the bottle in his hand, then back at the brunette. 

“You’ve never seen a healing potion before?” George’s face heated up in embarrassment 

_ ‘Obviously it would be healing, what else would it be?’ _ He chastised himself. George was about to speak up in his own defense, but he found that he didn’t need to.

“He’s colorblind.” Dream spoke up from the other side of Eret. 

“Oh, uh, sorry about that.” Eret apologized awkwardly, the skin of his face darkening in a blush. He leaned down and offered the bottle to George. “Drink half of that- it’ll have your shoulder fully healed by tomorrow morning at the very latest. If there’s still any pain after that I can make a salve out of herbs, just let me know.” He instructed kindly. George nodded in reply, then began to drink. 

The potion tasted and smelled kind of floral with a hint of something confectionary. It wasn’t bad or anything- it was honestly a lot better than the healing potions he’d made in the past, or the ones his friends had made. George never really thought there would be much of a difference between professionally made potions and the ones he made, but obviously there were quite a lot just based off of the lighter color alone. The moment he hit the halfway mark on the bottle, he knew when to stop. His insides felt all fluttery- kind of like how they felt whenever he was with Dream. The wound on his shoulder began to tingle, but it wasn’t painful. He recognized it as the feeling of his skin and muscles regrowing, a feeling he’d grown used to after quite a few adventures with his friends. Suddenly the bed felt a lot softer, and the voices in the room sounded a lot more warm and full.

“Okay Dream, I have some bad news.” A spike of fear jolted through George, but was repressed by the potion flowing through his cells. “I can see you’ve been severely injured- frankly I don’t know how you survived whatever you went through. George told us that wherever you were, you couldn’t respawn. For now at least we’re going to continue that assumption.” He explained.

“So what does that mean.” Dream replied, definitely making it seem like more of a statement than a question. George could hear the masked nerves in his voice.

“All it means is that it’ll take more than a healing potion to fix you. Almost everywhere is low on potion supplies because of the battles in the north, so I just don’t have the ingredients to make my potions stronger, or even make a regen. This is it.” Eret explained. “So I’m gonna give you a whole potion tonight, and then another tomorrow. That’ll help the process, but because your wounds are so old and plentiful a lot of this is gonna have to be done the old fashioned way.”

“As long as you can fix him, I don’t care how long it takes.” George said, his voice filled with a lot more emotion than he’d intended.

“Oh trust me-” Eret cracked his knuckles in confidence. “I’ll fix him up.” George tried to fight back the little bite of jealousy that coursed through him when Eret pulled Dream’s shirt over his head, exposing the hastily applied bandages and some messy stitches and healing scabs. He couldn’t see what was happening exactly, and wasn’t really trying to watch. He knew what he’d see- Dream’s unfairly perfect abs, pecs, and biceps. There were lots of tiny scars that stuck with him throughout his countless past respawns- memories of some of his greatest victories or greatest defeats. George had some of his own, but somehow battle scars looked better on his younger friend.

“So…” Niki’s soft voice cut through the air. “What happened to you guys?” She asked. Silence filled the air, neither Dream nor George wanting to answer.

“It’s a long story.” George finally said, mood turning dark despite the potion. He honestly wasn’t sure he would be able to recount it without breaking down or going numb. It was so fucking painful to remember, but he really had no choice. It would be easier to get it over with while he was high on healing potion than after he crashed back into reality. “We woke up two months ago on a spaceship with six of our other friends.” he closed his eyes and took a deep breath before continuing. “We had no idea why we were there- all we knew was that we were part of some experiment to take over another world. Dream and I found out that the mission wasn’t actually for us, but anyway that’s not important. We all talked and I fixed the main computer and we decided we were just gonna try to get home. So we turned it around and started trying to fix the ship so we’d get home faster-”

“It was in shitty shape.” Dream added, then proceeded to keep drinking his potion and grit his teeth through Eret gently removing his stitches.

“Everything was fine, and then…” He trailed off and swallowed hard as flashes of Tubbo’s body danced through his brain. He remembered the panic attack he’d had in the hallway after leaving Dream in security alone with the body like some sort of coward. 

“And then what?” Sam asked gently.

“One of our friends, Tubbo, was murdered.” George gritted out. He heard Niki’s gasp and noticed Eret stop moving out of the corner of his eye. “And then another one of our friends was murdered, and Dream’s and mine best friend was ejected because he was suspected by everyone else to have been the murderer, but they were wrong. He… he was innocent.” George tried to push back his nausea and anger. “The imposter picked everyone else off, until he came after Dream. Dream killed him, and now we’re home.” George finished. He left out a lot of important details- one of them being that Bad was actually possessed or something by an alien; he didn’t have the energy to get into that.

“What were their names?” Sam asked, voice dripping with sympathy. 

“Tubbo, Wilbur, Skeppy, Tommy-” George squeezed his eyes shut. “Sapnap, and, and Bad.” He finished. There was pressure in his chest, nausea threatening to take over.

Niki got up and walked over to George’s bedside, and wrapped him in a gentle hug without hesitation. A glance out of the corner of his eye told him that Dream was looking anywhere but at him. 

“I don’t know what to say.” She spoke softly, pulling out of the hug soon after to look him in the eye. “I’m so, so sorry.” 

“It’s okay, we’ve been trying to come to terms with everything. It’s… it’s been hard.” George said, trying to push the resurfaced memories back into the deep recesses of his brain. The silence wasn’t helping.

“What, do I not get a George hug?” Dream asked, breaking that silence as if he could sense George’s discomfort. He then let out a small pained gasp when Eret pulled out yet another stitch from his side. George would’ve rolled his eyes if not for the situation. Only Dream would be able to pull a joke out of his ass when talking about his trauma.

“You boys have been through hell.” Sam said. The mood in the room was heavy. George just wanted to forget. Well, maybe not forget. If he were to forget, then he’d forget all of his friends, and he never wanted to do that.

“We’re gonna have a funeral for them.” Dream said softly. “They were heroes.” 

“We can make that happen.” Sam assured them. “We have to fill you two in on some things as well, but that can wait. Get some sleep first, you two.” He motioned for Niki to follow him out the door. She shot an apologetic smile to George as she made her way to Sam’s side. “Tomorrow is a new day to heal.” He said, then the two walked out, closing the door quietly.

George started to doze off as Eret continued his work, getting up from his place beside Dream to get some wraps of bandages and pots of creams and salves. It was hard to relax again- the potion was beginning to focus only on his shoulder and the bruises all over him. His anxiety was mounting ever more, and the only thing that he could think of was exactly what he  _ didn’t _ want to be thinking about. The vision of Sapnap from earlier came to mind. Was he going crazy or something? Was the trauma finally getting to him? 

What he saw in space was so different from what he experienced in manhunts and other adventures. Before the wounds would bleed and yeah maybe there was gore, but he knew it wasn’t permanent, so it didn’t feel real. He used to  _ laugh _ at death, like it meant nothing. He could watch Dream die, and feel absolutely nothing. 

He could  _ kill _ Dream and feel victorious, feel joyful.

That scared the shit out of him.

Now, death was as real as he was. 

And even if, now that they were on Earth again, him and Dream maybe would respawn, there was no way to prove it. He wasn’t going to test that theory, nor would he let Dream. Life was precious.

Especially Dream’s life.

Soon enough Eret was telling Dream his final instructions for the night- try not to toss and turn, don’t pick at the bandages, and scream if he needed anything. Eret didn’t check on the brunette- he probably thought the other man was sleeping. George kept up the act even after Eret was gone, the lack of light in the room signifying that darkness had fallen. He didn’t know what he was feeling, but whatever it was he didn’t like it.

“George?” Dream whispered-yelled.

“Yes Dream?” He replied.

“I’m really tired and everything hurts and I may or may not be high on healing potions, but I need to tell you a secret.” He said loopily. George giggled- actually fucking  _ giggled _ . That is what this stupid fucking man did to him.

“Well go on then.” He pushed.

“You make me so happy and stuff and I’m so glad you didn’t kill me.” Dream let out, his voice somehow in a happy tone. “I’ve had the biggest crush on you for soooo long, and I’m so glad you feel the same. And if I wasn’t in so much fucking pain right now, I’d kiss you cuz we’re finally back on Earth and I’m… I’m gonna make you  _ so happy _ .” Dream’s voice started to taper off as began to fall asleep. George’s heart was beating a mile a minute, and his face had to be a billion degrees. ”We’ll forget everything that happened and just live. It’ll be epic.” He was quiet for a moment, making George think that he’d drifted off until he started to speak again. “You’ll be safe with me Gogy. Always safe… with me.” He finished, his soft snores filling the room.

George took a few minutes to lay staring at the dark ceiling, the sound of animals and hushed voices in nearby houses leaking through the walls. His brain was mush- there were too many conflicting emotions filling him up. On one hand, Dream was being everything he’d ever wanted, and he was so happy. On the other hand, he was scared to disappoint the younger man, or hurt him again. George wouldn’t be able to handle seeing the look of betrayal and pain on the blonde’s face ever again- it was painful enough the first time. He would protect Dream with his life.

And then there was the problem of the nightmares. He was used to the normal ones, but he was terrified of what happened earlier with the whole Sapnap thing happening again. What if he saw one of them while he was in battle? Fuck, he couldn’t describe what he felt seeing his best friend again. It was pain worse than almost anything he’d ever felt. He missed Sapnap so fucking much. He missed his sarcasm and stupid jokes and even more stupid humor.

He was gone though, and he and Dream would have to honor him- honor them all, even Bad- and move on.

But George was tired, and he was home; well, on his home planet anyway. He could deal with his problems tomorrow.

He deserved calm, and with Dream safely snoring beside him George finally let himself drift off into a restless slumber, knowing that tomorrow would be a new day, good or bad.


	2. Selfish

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another early post because uhhh I love getting these out into the world hehe. Thank you to @TheLittleStar_tm for being my wonderful fantastic beta and friend <3

George woke up the next morning confused and honestly a little scared when he saw that he wasn’t on the ship; the place he’d been used to seeing every waking minute of his day for the past two months. It took a moment for him to realize where he was- he was on Earth in a village’s apothecary with Dream. They weren’t on that deathtrap anymore.

It was over.

George rolled from his back to his side, and found that his shoulder was completely healed; not even a dull ache remained. He reminded himself to thank Eret profusely later. 

Golden morning light streamed through a large window in long rays, visible through the dust floating in the room. George found himself pulling the covers up closer to his chin; the morning was cold, signifying that soon it would be time for the village to start preparations for winter. The sound of birds chirping was music to his ears- he hadn’t realized how much he missed such little things while he was gone.

George followed those streams of light with his eyes to where they rested- right on Dream’s face. He almost wanted to laugh, but of course he wouldn’t risk waking him up. Sleep was very important to the healing process, and if sunlight straight to the eyes wasn’t stirring him, George definitely didn’t want to face Dream’s morning wrath by pulling him out of his slumber. Still though, he was pretty to look at.

George couldn’t see many colors- his world was mostly blue and a few ugly shades of yellow. It wasn’t fair, but he was still slightly grateful that he was at least able to see Dream’s blonde hair almost as it must’ve looked in reality. Dark blonde, almost brown locks that were wavy and soft even when they were wind tangled or matted with blood sat messily on his head. He was on his back, eyes closed and lips softly parted as he slept: the last time George had seen Dream so serene was when he was literally on his deathbed. This was definitely a whole lot better.

Then, George thought about what said blonde had said to him when he was falling asleep. “ _ We’ll forget about everything and just live _ .” He’d been groggy and high off healing potions, but George hoped Dream had meant it anyway. After all they’d been through, they deserved to just settle down somewhere and build a nice life together. They’d move past all of the bullshit and remember all of their friends without risking their lives. They would be happy.

A knock on the door pulled him out of his thoughts. Eret poked his head in hesitantly, then opened the door fully when he saw that George was awake and looking at him with curiosity.

“Morning, how are you feeling?” Eret asked. George didn’t miss the dark circles that were under his eyes as he approached and pulled up a chair next to the bed, careful to keep quiet as to not wake Dream. George sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, shivering from the cold.

“The best I’ve felt in months.” He answered truthfully. Eret smiled weakly.

“I’m sure… you two have uh, really been through it.” He paused for a second. “I’m so incredibly sorry. Like, I can’t imagine what you’ve seen-”

“It’s okay, seriously.” George cut him off. “I’m sorry, I just-” The shorter man looked over at Dream’s peaceful form, relaxed and vulnerable. “I really don’t want to think about it anymore.” Eret hesitated before speaking again.

“I understand that, I really do.” He cleared his throat and looked around the room while George quirked an eyebrow. “But you need to listen to me here. Holding this type of trauma in is bad for you. It can tear you apart. I can tell that you’re not the best with emotions, I’m good at seeing that kind of thing.” He pointed at Dream. “I don’t know you guys, and I won’t pretend that I do. I don’t know your relationship, and I definitely don’t know your backstory. But that man right there isn’t going to deal with bullshit. From the sound of it, he sacrificed a lot for you. Frankly, you owe it to him to open up.” George opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

He didn’t need to “open up,” he was fine and he was over it- well, he’d be over it when they had the funeral. What happened happened, and there was no changing it: talking it out with Dream would just upset him.

“Look, I get your concern, but I’m fine! I’m not-  _ repressing _ anything.” George emphasized. “I’m just ready to be done with the situation. I want to honor my friends and let it rest- we got our revenge when I threw the alien out of the airlock-”

“Alien?”

“-so it’s pointless to wallow in it.” He ignored the interjection, not really wanting to get into it. Too much work, and it hurt his brain to remember anyway. Eret sighed in defeat.

“Alright man, if you say so.” He looked over to check if Dream was still asleep, (he was out cold,) then faced George again. “How’s the shoulder?”

“Good as new.” He replied, moving the joint around to test its mobility. “No pain even remotely, your potion sure did the trick.” Eret smiled proudly.

“I’m glad. Hey, would you like a change of clothes? I’m sure you don’t want to be in a bloody shirt anymore.” George nodded gratefully and watched the tall man as he walked to and out of the door. He’d forgotten that he was still wearing the clothes from the ship, and now that he’d realized it he kind of felt itchy. 

Dream mumbled a bit in his sleep- George couldn’t suppress the slight grin that followed the noise. He used to tease the younger all the time for his sleep talking habit when they were teenagers. When Sapnap started to join in the bullying, Dream refused to go to sleep until his friends did first: this led to many standoffs that always ended in them falling asleep at the same time anyway.

“Here, I hope these fit.” A few articles of clothing landed in his lap when Eret reentered the room. George looked down at what he was graciously given: dark jeans, a light blue t-shirt, and a corduroy jacket that he stared hard at. “It’s light brown.” Eret added as he made his way to Dream’s bedside to check his wounds and change the bandages.

“Thanks Eret, I owe you one.” George hoped that the sincerity came through his voice: he climbed carefully out of bed, the hair on his arms and legs standing up from the cold the second his feet hit the floorboards.

“Yeah yeah.” George found himself enjoying the other man’s sarcasm quite a bit; it reminded him a little of Sapnap. “You can change in the room next door if you’re uncomfortable.” The brunette took that invitation quickly, walking lightly to the door that was left slightly ajar. Before he walked out, he turned back-

Dream was still out like a light, Eret hunched over him to tend to his wounds. A knot formed in George’s stomach, but he tried to push it away.

He had no reason to worry.

So he went into the room next door and shut himself in to change clothes in peace. This room was much smaller, with a plain porcelain washbasin and mirror situated on a table. This room had no windows, so it was lit by a gas candle on the wall that threw shadows all over the floor. 

As the world was slowly advancing, George had found that every village he visited was different. Technology was spreading at a turtle’s pace, which made transitioning from place to place on their adventures a bit of a chore. Some places had computers and redstone powered lights- those were the communities they’d mostly stayed in.

Villages like that were becoming more and more common, but this obviously wasn’t one of them. Not that it was a bad thing- George found he quite liked the rustic and homey feel that the lack of electricity could give places.

He slipped off his bloodstained shirt and discarded it on the ground without a second thought. That was Dream’s blood- he didn’t want that touching his skin ever again. George took the new one into his hand- the fabric was soft and moldable, obviously worn before. He didn’t mind that at all, of course: he felt lucky to have any clothes on his back at all. The brit went to pull it over his head, but paused.

Ever so slowly, George turned to look in the mirror. He didn’t know what he was expecting, if he was expecting anything at all, but the only thing he saw was exactly what he always saw. Lean and pale with messy dark hair and dark eyes, now sporting a light scar on his left shoulder that the potion couldn’t fully heal. He was incredibly unremarkable, and that made him wonder.

What did Dream see in him?

He shook his head and pulled on the shirt, pants, and jacket.  He was overthinking, which was always without fail a bad thing.  He ran slender fingers through greasy hair, cringing at the texture- he probably didn’t smell too good at that point, but there wasn’t much he could do about it. George took one last glance in the mirror before pulling the door open and walking out.

In the next room over, he heard voices- he didn’t know how he didn’t hear new people come in, but his heart rate picked up exponentially. George barely felt the floor under his toes as he opened the door and walked in, nerves overtaking him. 

“Hey George, we’re glad you’re okay.” A familiar voice filled his ears, dissipating his anxiety almost instantly. It was just Sam and Niki who were in there with Dream- Niki was sitting criss-crossed on his unoccupied bed, and Sam had his legs stretched out in a chair next to the window. Eret was nowhere to be found; probably tending to his shop.

“Hi again.”  George felt shy for some reason, which was totally unwarranted. These people pulled him out of a crashed spaceship, and basically saved him and Dream’s lives: he could trust them.  Niki patted the bed next to her in an invitation for him to sit down.

“I’m gonna skip the small talk, okay? We have a lot to fill you in on.” Sam said. George quirked an eyebrow but said nothing, taking a seat where indicated. The man’s sad smile made him nervous.

“Lay it on me.” He replied. George’s eyes wandered over to Dream, who was still sound asleep in his bed. He wouldn’t hear what was going on but by the way Sam and Niki were acting, that probably wasn’t a bad thing. Sam took a deep breath as if to steady himself before speaking.

“There have been rumors of an army, a piglin army, coming down from the north somewhere. From what we’ve heard they’ve been causing mass destruction, but no one knows  _ why _ .” The breath caught in George’s throat. What had the guy on the recording said two months ago? That the world was going to be destroyed? How the hell could an army of piglins get into the overworld anyways? As far as George knew the only portals in the world were well protected on the Nether side as to not cause the beasts of the underworld to flood the Earth. Could the guy on the recording have known about it? 

The message wasn’t even meant for them to hear; it had been for the previous crew.

“Just rumors?” He asked. Sam and Niki shared a glance.

“Technically yes, but we really don’t have any way to deny them. None of our scouts have come back.” Niki said hesitantly. Her soft voice was shaking a bit with fear, but her face remained starkly neutral.

“Listen, we’ve heard about you and your friends; everyone has. We thought that you guys would be the ones to save us, but you disappeared. And now you’re back, so we thought that, you know,  _ maybe _ -” George cut Sam off, his heart in his throat. 

“No. I’m, I’m sorry, but no.” He looked down at his hands and played with his fingers, traces of blood from days before still visible under his nails. He knew what they were going to ask, and he wanted no part of it. Sam got to his feet and walked to George’s side.

“You’re all the world has left, George. You and Dream are the only ones who can save us.” Sam sounded conflicted, as if he didn’t want to be asking this in the first place. George wished he didn’t.

“You guys don’t even know if this army is real-”

“But what if it is?” Niki interrupted him. George stayed quiet, refusing to meet either of their eyes. “What if those piglins are on their way here right now, and there’s no one to stop them? Their ranks will just grow and grow until all of humanity is dead. Is that what you want?” George furrowed his brow.

“It’s not mine and Dream’s responsibility to save the world. We’re done with that now.” He got to his feet and pushed his way past Sam. “You have no idea what we’ve been through, the shit we’ve seen. We saw our friends with their necks slit and their guts hanging out of holes in their stomachs. We had to send our closest friend out to die alone in space, and we could do nothing about it. I won’t let Dream go through anything else. Never again.” Sam reached out to grab his arm as the brunette laid a hand on the doorknob.

“George this could be about the fate of the world-”

“Dream is my world!” George snapped. He turned around to see Niki and Sam’s shocked faces, but tried to push away the guilt he felt. After sacrificing so much, he felt like he had earned the right to be selfish. 

George opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. He didn’t know when Dream would wake up and he knew that he shouldn’t just leave him there alone, but he needed to get out of that room. The night before and even that morning he had felt so safe there with the sunlight falling on his skin and the gentle creak of the building settling; it took only one conversation for the space to turn stifling and suffocating. He needed to have the space to think about all the bullshit he just learned. A piglin army, now of all times? Could they not have a fucking break?

He emerged from the hallway back into the main part of the Apothecary in a huff. Eret jumped a bit in surprise when he came through the door, almost dropping the glass bottle in his hand.

“Woah there, everything okay?” His eyes were kind but still laden with dark circles and stress. 

“Yeah, it’s fine. Do you have any shoes I could borrow? Size 10?” George asked. The world outside was calling to him. Eret hesitated but nodded all the same, leaving his spot behind the counter to go into another smaller room. 

While he was gone George decided to browse the aisles a bit. Looking at all of the funky-shaped leaves and herbs reminded him of the flower hunts he used to have with Bad. He couldn’t go flower picking with Sapnap or Dream because they’d always make fun of him for mixing up the colors of the petals. Bad never judged or made fun of him, especially not for his colorblindness: Bad made it out to be kind of like a super power. Back when he was a teenager that had really helped him gain comfort in who he was.

A small smile appeared on George’s lips as he picked up one of the jars filled to the brim with an array of dried leaves that appeared to be a light blue. He recognized those as lilac petals.

“ _ The super tall flowers with all of the buds from top to bottom, those are lilacs _ .” Bad had pointed out to him as they hiked through a forest five years prior, backpacks close to bursting from the spoils of their latest hunt. Sapnap and Dream were waiting for them back at camp, hopefully with a fire started and water boiling. 

“ _ I wish I could see them. _ ” He’d said, a frown on his lips as they walked past the plant. The scrapes on his palms burned- Dream would fix them up with a potion when he got back. Bad looked at him questioningly.

“ _ You can see them, you muffin _ .” George sighed.

“ _ I mean see them like you and Dream and Sapnap do _ .” Bad giggled a bit, jumping over a puddle that lay in their path.

“ _ Why would you want to do that? You’re special, you get to see the world in a way that none of us can. Personally, I think that’s really cool _ .” George stayed quiet for a moment, letting the words soak into his brain. Bad was right, actually, maybe it was kind of cool. “ _ And you know what? I bet Sapnap and Dream are just jealous that you’ve got this cool power. I certainly am _ .” George laughed, the energy returning to his step as his spirits lifted and their camp came into view. 

“ _ You’re not serious _ .” He’d said. George could make out Dream and Sapnap’s voices just as the cicadas began to chirp and the sun dipped fully below the horizon.

“ _ I’m super serious. Be proud of who you are George. And if you really really feel like you’re missing out, you already know that Dream will do everything in his power to fix your colorblindness. All of us want you to be happy. _ ” 

As soon as Bad had finished speaking, Dream and Sapnap had sprinted up to them to tackle them in hugs that left them all gasping for air due to the strength of their laughter. Any negative feelings immediately left George’s mind as he was surrounded by the most important people in his life: he was happy.

George put down the jar carefully. It was a different life now, all these years later. 

He continued his slow progress around the store, taking note of the lack of potion ingredients on the shelf. Soon enough Eret came back holding a pair of black boots and white socks.

“Here you go, it’s an old pair of mine but they should work.” George accepted them gratefully, immediately pulling them on his feet.

“Thanks man.” He stood back up and brushed his hands on his pants. 

“Heading out so soon?” Eret questioned. He leaned back easily against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“I just need to think. Niki and Sam told me about the army… they wanted me and Dream to try to fight.” A child’s high laughter cut through the air, breaking a bit of the tension in the room.

“I didn’t think you’d go for it, if that helps.” Eret said easily. “They wanted to give it a shot is all, we were talking last night. Niki especially is scared of losing her home.” A shock of guilt washed over George. His intention wasn’t to let anyone down, it wasn’t at all. He just wanted to have a normal life after everything that happened.

“Eret I don’t want to hurt you guys, especially because you’ve been so kind to us.”

“Don’t feel guilty, okay? We’ll be alright.” He reassured. George let out a breath. “You go take some time, I’ll take care of Dream while you’re away: he’s probably going to be awake within the next half hour.” George walked to the door and offered Eret a kind nod before heading outside into the village.

George walked out of the Apothecary, his mind laden down with the information he’d just received.

The air outside was crisp and cold again; he pulled the jacket tighter around himself to repress a shiver. His breath formed little clouds in the morning light- it was peaceful. The scent of freshly baked bread hung heavy in the breeze, making his stomach rumble. George hadn’t had actual Earth food in many months, and just the  _ smell _ of baked goods was making his mouth water. He didn’t have any money though unfortunately- he’d have to ask Eret about getting a meal whenever he returned.

So he continued to walk. He walked and walked until he could hardly see the village when he looked back over his shoulder. He sat down in the tall grass on the top of a hill.

And he screamed.

He screamed until his throat was raw.

That was all he could think of to do, the only way he could let out the tension that was threatening to boil over. 

He had what he wanted: he had Dream.  But then people possibly needed his help; could he abandon them now that he had what he needed?

‘ _ Yes _ ,’ he thought immediately, the grass brushing his cheeks. He knew that the world could be burning around him and he’d let it burn forever if it meant that he could keep Dream safe.

He’d always felt so dumb, so  _ stupid _ , for feeling the way he did for his best friend. To him it was dirty, and it was so fucking wrong the way he’d think about the other man’s hands on the sides of his face as he kissed him, or his yellow eyes blazing with need as he touched and mapped out every line and crease of his skin. These were the thoughts that kept him up at night, that made his heart race and stomach sink with guilt.

He’d watch his younger best friend laugh at stupid shit Sapnap did and feel something uncomfortable in his chest that he’d never been able to place. George was a lot of things, but what he wasn’t was good at understanding or expressing his feelings. The day he’d finally realized how he felt was probably the worst day of his life, and he blamed it all on Bad. It was Bad’s fault for pointing out how similar his reaction was to seeing Dream as Skeppy’s was to seeing Bad. He’d denied it over and over again, but that night when he laid down to go to sleep he had a conversation with himself.

That was the thing that made George’s world come tumbling down. In love with his best friend? How much worse could things get for him?

And then six months later he was kidnapped and placed into a metal deathtrap.

But hey, at least Dream felt the same, and he was alive.

‘ _ Alive for now _ .” He thought bitterly. Niki and Sam’s words came to mind: they wanted Dream and George to save the world. That’s what he’d been training for his whole life, wasn’t it? Manhunts to practice strategy and combat, travelling constantly to learn survival skills. He would have no problem saving the world if he knew that they would respawn, but the thing was that he didn’t know what would happen.  Hell, he’d even sacrifice himself  _ knowing _ that he wouldn’t respawn, but then of course Dream would do the same, and that was a surefire way for him to be killed. 

George thought back to that smile from the night before lighting up a now scarred freckled face. Dream was alive.

George’s resolve hardened.

He’d keep him that way.

Still though he stayed in that field for a while, watching the sun make its progress through the sky and listening to the birds tweet in the nearby forest. He didn’t think he’d ever tire of the wonders of nature after being trapped in a metal prison for so long, but still he needed to go back, he knew. Dream was most definitely awake and was probably wondering where George had gotten off to. 

He got to his feet slowly, allowing the yellow tresses of grass to slide through his fingers. Soon, all of this would be covered in snow as if the world was beginning again. Everything was a cycle. 

The trek back to the village proved to be much slower than his journey out was. He didn’t get back to the outer buildings until the sun was below the horizon and the growl of zombies in the distance were becoming more audible. Despite his lack of weapon, George felt no need to speed up his pace in the slightest. The iron golem watched him suspiciously as he passed through the emptying village. His stomach was gnawing with hunger; he hadn’t eaten in roughly two days.

When passing by some houses, he saw families settling in at the table for a hot meal and quality time together without a care in the world; George felt a pang of bitterness at the thought that he might not ever experience a life like that. He’d never been the kind of guy to want a white picket fence, a dog, and two kids, but it seemed like an impossible dream to him now. His life would always be movement and adventure, and he loved that don’t get him wrong. 

George let his eyes fall to the cobblestones in front of him as he neared the apothecary.

Would Dream want that cookie cutter life? Would he be content with the privilege of ignorance? Not needing to know about every battle going on, every war to be fought- would Dream be content just being his?

George swung open the door to the apothecary, revelling in the tinkling of the bell and the burst of warmth that enveloped him. He hadn’t realized how cold he’d gotten after all those hours outside. Eret was nowhere to be seen- he’d probably closed up shop hours ago. George took that as an invitation to head back behind the counter and go through the door that was left slightly ajar.

The back hallway was even warmer than the actual storefront. The sound of humming combined with what could’ve been pots and pans on the stove solidified George’s theory he was finally going to get a fresh meal. Despite his hunger, he continued on until he reached that back door with the frosted glass.

His eyes went straight to Dream, who was thankfully sat up in his bed. His hair looked wet- maybe he’d had a bath or something while George was gone, and in his hands was a large sheet of paper. Light eyes were trained on the window, as if he was expecting someone to walk past.

“Hey.” George supplied weakly. Dream’s gaze instantly locked on George’s, relief obviously filling them.

“God damn George, I was starting to think you’d left me.” Dream let out a strained laugh as the anxiety visibly drained out of his body. George continued further into the room to sit on the end of Dream’s bed. He playfully grabbed the blonde’s foot under the cover, only to receive a swift kick in return. “Be careful there- I’m  _ fragile _ .” Dream scoffed, but there was only playfulness behind the words.

“Yeah yeah.” George knew he was just playing, especially by the state of his visible wounds. The scab on Dream’s face was now just a thin white scar, as was the scab on his neck. He still had bandages on his arm and presumably his side- George couldn’t know for sure if the wound on his chest had been deep enough to require further attention. 

He frowned. The wound he caused.

“What were you looking at?” George went to look out the window- there was nothing outside except falling leaves and street lamps. Dream looked conflicted for just a moment before answering.

“I was just looking to see if you were out there is all.” He didn’t elaborate further, so George decided not to push. “So where did you go? I didn’t know twinks were so sneaky.” Dream teased, laughing at the blush that took over George’s face.

“Firstly, I’m not sneaky. And secondly, I’m definitely  _ not _ a twink.” He insisted.

“Liar.”

“I am not!”

“Okay fine, you win.” George smiled victoriously. “So where did you get off to, twink?”

“I just kind of walked for a while.” He decided to let the whole twink thing slide for now. He’d get Dream back for it later. “I needed to think.” There was a bit of energized silence, neither knowing what to say next,

“Sam and Niki told me what you said.” Dream spoke after a moment. George played with his fingers in his lap to avoid the intense eyes on him. He was planning on talking to Dream about it of course, but he kind of wanted it to be on his own terms. He should’ve expected that Sam and Niki would ask Dream about fighting the army too. 

“I’m assuming you disagree with me, am I wrong?” George asked.

“Actually, I agreed with you.” George’s eyes shot up at the unexpected answer. Dream wasn’t looking at him anymore- his eyeline had returned to the window, his expression pensive. “I mean, I’m sure you have reasons I don’t know about for not wanting to get involved, but I just need a break. Time to recover. This isn’t our fight, you know?” George nodded in agreement. Dream looked back at him and smiled gently as he reached out to take George’s hand. As always, it felt electric when their skin touched. “Besides, I want to have you to myself in a situation where neither of our lives are in danger. I don’t think that’s too much to ask.” George’s existing blush darkened, his smile growing exponentially. There was something else in the back of his mind though, something that told him to create space.

“I’m sure there are other people who can handle something like this. Piglins aren’t exactly smart.” George said, taking his hand out of Dream’s to crack his knuckles.  He didn’t miss the disappointed look that flashed across his face, but there wasn’t really any way to fix it. He just felt weird receiving that affection, and that freaked him out: He’d never felt like that before when holding Dream’s hand.

“Yeah, of course.” Dream said. It didn’t take more than a moment for him to move on though. “Eret gave me a map- I think this is the village we left Patches in.” Dream pointed out a small cluster of dots a bit to the north. “He said that if we leave tomorrow we would probably get there in maybe three days. Plus, he’d give us some supplies.” George raised his eyebrows in shock.

“That man is a saint I swear.” George expressed. The last lights of day had finally disappeared from the room- the pair were now bathed in the blue glow of twilight. It was intimate and the air was charged, the words Dream spoke to him earlier wouldn’t leave George’s head: Dream wanted him all to himself. Something about those words, said so innocently, lit a fire in his stomach that wouldn’t die down. The feeling of excitement mixed with newfound anxiety definitely wasn’t the most comfortable sensation, however. His body was confusing him with all the signs: you want him, no, don’t get too close. The sound of a knock and the door squeaking open alerted George to a newcomer in the room. To no surprise it was Eret, his tall form blocking the entrance to the hallway.

“Hey guys. George, I’m glad you’re back. I was about to get Sam out there to look for you.” A kind smile crossed Eret’s face, and was easily returned.

“I could never leave you with the incredible burden that is Dream when he has energy.” George deadpanned. 

“Oh come on now-”

“You said the thing!” George laughed, his grin reaching from ear to ear, mood changing as if a switch was flipped. Dream’s face lit up in a blush.

“What thing? I just said-”

“You always say that! That’s the Dream phrase!” George was doubled over laughing at that point- Eret and Dream shared a confused look while he continued to laugh. George dropped his voice an octave. “Oh,  _ come on now _ .” He mocked a bit, reveling in Dream’s sputtering and denial.

“You know I just came in here to tell you that dinner’s ready- whenever he’s done with his fit you can go eat.” Eret rolled his eyes and backed out of the room, of course not forgetting to turn on the gas lamp before he walked out. George’s laughter slowed to a stop at the mention of food, his stomach letting out a mighty growl.

“Damn Georgie, you hungry or something?” Dream teased.

“Uh, yeah. Haven’t eaten in two days.” George jumped up from his seat on the bed. “Can you make it to the kitchen? I never asked how you were feeling-” A bit of guilt joined the soup of emotions brewing in his chest and stomach. Dream waved him off easily, throwing his legs easily over the side of the bed.

“I’m all good, and you-” Dream stood to his full height, towering over George. He pushed a finger into George’s chest teasingly- they were standing so close that the brunette could feel Dream’s warm breath on his face. “-you need to take better care of yourself.” He said softly. Despite the way his body seemed to protest, George found himself looking at Dream’s mouth, wondering what those lips would feel like against his own. Wondering what those big hands would feel like gripping his hips. 

George found himself standing up straighter, almost getting to his tiptoes. There was a glow from the candle-lit street lamps outside; it reflected off the side of Dream’s face, highlighting his new scar and making those yellow eyes sparkle. George’s breathing was stuttered as he moved minutely closer, their lips inches apart.

“Oh! I have something for you.” Dream said. A smile lit his face, and the intenseness of the moment was broken- it was probably for the best, too. George let his heels touch the ground again, face burning and palms sweating. Dream took a step back and picked up a box that was on the ground next to his bed, unaware of how flustered he’d just made George. 

“Something for me? Aw Dreamie you shouldn’t have.” George tried to tease, but honestly he was sure that Dream could hear his heartbeat from where he stood a few feet away. If he could though, he didn’t make it clear- there was no falter in his now shy grin as he handed George the parcel. The box was just plain cardboard, and whatever was inside was very light. George looked up at Dream with an inquisitive expression for a moment, before quickly moving his hands to open the box.

“I thought that, you know, because we were back on Earth and you did so much for me, maybe it was time I made these.” Dream explained. “You always used to make comments about how much you wanted-” He cut himself off. “You know what? You should just see for yourself.”

George proceeded to carefully unfold the flaps with Dream’s nervous eyes boring into his head. He stared at the contents for a moment before pulling out the item inside, heart rate picking up once again.

“Are these?” Dream bounced on the balls of his feet a bit in excitement as George looked at what was in his hands in absolute disbelief.

“They are- made them myself.” He said proudly.

In George’s hands were a pair of glasses- the frames were ovular with thick white rims, and the lenses were a dark color that wasn’t black. Red possibly? He switched between looking at the gift and looking at Dream, his expression growing more ecstatic by the second.

“I-I don’t understand, I thought you couldn’t do it-”

“When there’s a will, there’s a way.” Dream paused for a second. “Plus Sam and Eret helped me. They were able to figure out the right ratio of redstone dust and awkward potion to make the lens coating. After that it was fairly simple.” George was speechless. He’d always wanted to see color, all his life. These glasses would give him the ability to do that. He was holding one of his longest lasting dreams in his hands, right then.

“Do they work?” 

“Only one way to find out.” George grinned and pulled Dream by the arm over to the gas lamp so they’d have plenty of light. He laughed the whole way over, basking in George’s excitement. 

With shaking hands, George unfolded the arms of the glasses. For a few moments he just looked down at them in his hands. Would they really work, or was he about to be disappointed? It was scary, he realized. He was scared to see the world as everyone else did. What if it wasn’t everything he thought it would be? His eyes wandered up to Dream’s which were full of support as he waited eagerly for George to don his creation.

He would finally get to see the green in Dream’s eyes if he put the glasses on, he realized.

George didn’t wait another second before sliding them onto his face. He kept his eyes closed, getting used to the weight on his ears and nose. They fit perfectly.

“Oh Geoooorge” Dream said when he still remained unseeing. “What, are you scared that the sight of my perfection in full HD will make you cream your pants or something?” He prodded.

“Shut the fuck up. You’re gross.” George replied. He knew his face and neck were burning though, and his eyes stayed stubbornly closed.

“I’m not above prying your eyes open you know.” Dream said after another few seconds of waiting. 

“Stop rushing me, this is kind of a big deal for me, jerk.” 

“It won’t be a big deal if I’m not here when you open your eyes because you took twenty years and I’m  _ starving _ -”

“Fine!” George conceded, then slowly cracked his eyes open.

He didn’t know what he was expecting honestly. Well he didn’t know what colors looked like, so he really  _ couldn’t _ set expectations. Still though, nothing could’ve ever prepared him for what he saw. 

Brilliant green. Dream’s eyes, they were.... incredible. Nothing short of stunning. George’s eyes flicked up for a moment: his hair was a brownish gold- he found that he was very wrong about thinking he was seeing it normally the night before. It had so many layers, so much depth to the shades. The candle reflected an orange-yellow glow onto his freckled skin. His shirt was a light green that complimented his eyes, stretching across that wonderfully broad chest.

“You’re beautiful.” George murmured. Dream’s face reddened- the brunette could finally see that wonderfully rosy blush, and the lightness of his lips. He did another once over of Dream’s body: how anyone could be such a perfect mixture of power and beauty was a mystery to him. “Is this how you see me?”

“Through rose colored glasses? Probably.” Dream smirked as George rolled his eyes.

“Ha ha, funny joke.” The sound of his stomach rumbling pulled himself as well as Dream out of the moment. “As much as I’m enjoying this, if I don’t get some food in my stomach in the next five minutes I might start consuming myself from the inside out.” Dream rubbed his hands together maniacally.

“Kinky.” 

“You disgust me.”

“You just called me beautiful-”

“I take it back!” George said as he charged past Dream to the door, yanking it open and running down the hall to the kitchen, followed closely by a mop of blonde hair with ADHD. As they travelled the short distance down the hallway, George still tried to take in the changes around him. The wood had so many colors in it that added depth and texture, and the paintings on the wall were actually a pleasure to look at. To him it was like being born again; everything was so bright and new, and he was excited about it. The pair barged into the kitchen full of laughter, obviously catching Eret off guard.

“I see you’re feeling better.” Eret smiled, tightly gripping the glass he’d almost dropped upon the pair’s arrival. George took note of the red shirt he wore, and the soft brown of his hair. It was all so new and different.

“Like a new man.” Dream said with confidence.

“Okay ‘ _ new man _ ,’” He chuckled, “Try not to forget that you’re not completely better yet. Just because you’re mobile doesn’t mean you should be exerting yourself.” Eret casually remarked. George could’ve sworn that he threw a wink at him. “Anyways, help yourself you two.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” George stepped up to the table, his mouth watering instantly at the assault of delicious scents. Pork chops, apple sauce, and green beans (he could see green beans!!) were all heaped on plates near a wood stove, and in no time both Dream and George had platefulls. George all but sprinted to the wooden table across the room to start eating.

The three men ate in silence for a few minutes: mostly because Dream and George were literally ravenous. But when they started to slow down a bit, conversation began to flow.

“Where do you think we should have the funeral?” Dream asked. George almost choked on the water he was drinking. Wide eyes turned next to him.

“We’re having it here?” He asked. Dream shrugged, pushing the last of his green beans around the plate.

“I mean yeah, I think it would be appropriate. Lay them to rest where the rocket was destroyed, don’t carry the weight around with us wherever we go. It’ll be better for us, maybe we’ll be able to heal faster.” George thought about it for a moment. Yeah, it kind of made sense to leave their memory with the ship, but also he felt like they should keep their friends with them.

“I don’t know, maybe keeping them with us for a while longer wouldn’t be such a bad thing.” George thought aloud. Eret shook his head in disapproval. “What?”

“If you carry them now, you’re never gonna let go. There will always be another excuse.” Eret said. “You’ll never settle, and neither will they.” George stayed silent, thoughts whirring around in his brain. Was he being selfish yet again?  Could a person be selfish when talking about the dead?

“The funeral isn’t about us, it’s about them. Honoring them.” Dream paused, a heavy weight settling on the room’s atmosphere. “We owe them that much.”

“Okay. Yes, yeah.” George conceded. “Tomorrow morning, before we leave. We’ll go to the beach and have the best damn funeral this Earth has ever seen.” He stood from the table to take his plate to the counter, leaving it almost completely clean. With a big stretch he yawned, a sudden tiredness seeping into his bones.

He was going to attend the funeral of the man who told him he was special for being colorblind while wearing corrective glasses- 

Both of them were imposters, he guessed.

“Ready to get some shuteye, color seeing Gogy?” Dream teased.

“Absolutely.” 

The pair thanked Eret for the meal and company, then walked back into the patients’ quarters at the end of the hallway. They got into bed without saying a word, George carefully setting his new glasses on the small end table beside his head. 

He stared at the ceiling for a while, and he could tell by the lack of heavy breathing that Dream was awake as well.

“Do you think we’re making the right choice by not joining this war?” George asked. For a few moments there was silence, making him wonder if Dream really had fallen asleep. There was a distant hooting of an owl outside, moonlight streaming in gently through the window onto the foot of Dream’s bed.

“The right choice for us? Yes.” Came the reply.

“Not the right choice for the world, though.”

“Does the world really matter when I have you?” 

“It should… but I know it doesn’t.”

…

“Let’s be selfish, George, just this once.”  
… 

“I’m just a man. Being selfish is what I do best.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh the story is just getting rolling!!! Follow me on Twitter @azkaabanter for fic updates, bonus content, and other MCYT content :) The best way to ensure the rapid updates of my fics is to comment, leave kudos, sub, and bookmark!! I love you all <3


	3. Moving On

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I messed up my schedule and I was actually supposed to post this yesterday oopsie!!! I love you guys, thank you for dealing with me!! Updates might be once a week instead of twice because chapters are double the length, if not more, than chapters in “Dreamy, Believe Me,” but I haven’t decided on anything yet. As of now updates are on Sundays and Thursdays.

It was raining when Dream and George awoke the next morning. Well, it was more like sleet.

The icy precipitation pounded down on the wooden roof, and the trees outside the window were pushed by the wind without abandon. Maybe not the best weather for a funeral, but it was almost poetic: messy weather on the day that messy deaths would be honored. Plus, it added perfectly to the somber mood.

“Maybe we should wait another day.” Dream suggested, looking out into the world beyond the glass. George sat next to him wrapped tightly in a thin blanket. In his hand was a mug of steaming herbal tea leftover from breakfast, glasses perched on the top of his head. 

“I would love to, you know.” Dream scootched a bit closer, seeking the warmth that George was radiating. “But I don’t think we should stay here. I feel kind of guilty taking advantage of Eret’s kindness when we aren’t giving him anything in return.” George said. Dream made a grabby-hand towards the mug, and with an eyeroll George handed it over. “Don’t drink it all.” 

“If you insist.” He replied, taking a long sip. The blonde was just about healed by then: Eret’s constant care had obviously done the trick. He had no more bandages on, and the worst of his wounds- the one on his side- was little more than a scab. Dream even insisted that nothing hurt anymore, though he still avoided prodding at the fresh scars. It at the very least made George feel more comfortable interacting with the man, knowing that there was no way to break him any more than he already had.

The low sound of thunder rumbled through the air- an odd occurrence when the rain was icy.

“I wish we had something to bury.” George remarked softly. A certain heaviness washed over the pair, both knowing that they should say something but neither wanting to concede to it. The ship was a wreck- villagers had mostly cleaned up the lumps of twisted metal to reuse in construction projects, wanting to keep the trash out of their waters and recycle what they could. In the kitchen that morning Eret had told George that pretty much all that remained was a crater in the sand.

Not that he was sad about it or anything- George was desperate to push the events of the past two months from his brain. Okay, okay. He wasn’t sad about the  _ ship _ . He was devastated by the fact that almost none of the occupants had survived to see it torn apart. There was a soft knock at the door, Dream giving whoever was there easy approval to enter whilst simultaneously placing the mug on the nearby end table.

“Hey guys.” Sam said, a sad smile causing the upturn of his lips. He quickly noticed the slightly uncomfortable expression on the brunette’s face, and instantly went into apology mode. “Listen, I’m sorry about yesterday-”

“It’s okay,” George cut off. There was no point in talking about their previous conversation: his decision was final. Sam continued into the room still, Niki trailing silently behind him. She was carrying a fabric bag that was obviously weighing her down until she deposited it on the floor.

“Niki and I made something for you guys.” Dream looked over George’s shoulder with interest, trying to catch a glimpse of whatever was in the tote.

“You didn’t have to do anything for us- honestly you shouldn’t have.” Dream said, his voice laden with guilt.

“Look, this has nothing to do with the war, this isn’t a bribe of any sort.” Niki said, her eyes wide and apologetic. “You lost your friends, and we figured you didn’t have anything to bury-” She leaned down and took out one of the things filling the bag.

It was a circular grey stone, roughly the size of a salad plate. George got to his feet to get a closer look while simultaneously pulling his new glasses down over his eyes, Dream following behind him. Niki handed it to him with a soft smile. 

The stone in the blonde’s hand had one word carved carefully into it- “Tommy.” George’s eyes shot up, a gasp blocking his throat.

“We thought that something was better than nothing.” Sam supplied to fill the shocked silence that had enveloped the room. Instantly Dream reacted, pulling Niki and Sam into a tight hug. George couldn’t miss the tears that were leaking from the corners of his eyes, and the muffled sobs that were emerging from him. Niki looked on the verge of tears as well- she barely knew the two of them and was still obviously overcome with emotion. Hell, even Sam seemed to be blinking back proof of his emotions.

Maybe it should’ve concerned George that all he felt was numbness.

“Thank you both, this means so much.” Dream wept. He finally let their two new friends out of the hug, faces all red and splotchy. George just stood awkwardly to the side, studying his shoelaces like they’d unveil the secrets of the universe if he stared at them hard enough. Dream looked at him curiously- it was odd to see him like that, feeling so many emotions. George had seen him cry before, plenty of times throughout their teenage years, and even more while they were trapped on the ship: for some reason this felt different, more intense.

Probably because he didn’t understand why he wasn’t feeling the same things.

“We also helped Eret pack you guys some supplies for your journey, if you’re still leaving today.” Niki looked out the window, face scrunching up a little when she peered at the weather that seemed like it was just going to get worse. “You can stay as long as you’d like you know, if Eret didn’t want you staying here you could stay at my house, or Sam’s.” She said hopefully, looking between the two for an answer.

“That’s really kind of you guys, but we really should move on.” George replied, trying to put as much graciousness in his tone as he could muster. He shared a quick glance with Dream, taking in the nod of encouragement that the blonde supplied. “Dream’s dog is in that other village, and we both really miss her.” That definitely wasn’t a lie. It could very well be seen as ungrateful if they said they were leaving because they felt like moochers.

“Oh God, okay yeah that’s definitely a good reason to go out in weather like this.” Sam chuckled, trying to hide a sniffle. 

Dream started to converse with the pair while George got to his knees in front of the bag, and started going through the carefully carved out stones. He ran his fingers gingerly over the rough texture of Sapnap’s stone- it was an orangey-brown, contrasting with the steady grey of Tommy’s and the mottled blues of Skeppy’s. George was aware that Niki and Sam knew nothing about Sapnap, but it kind of warmed his heart that the stone which would be his memorial was going to be his favorite color.

A hand laid softly on his shoulder, pulling the older out of his thoughts.

“I think it’s time.” Dream said. His eyes were dark and sad, missing that usual glimmer that would make George’s heart leap. He nodded and got to his feet, dusting off dirty hands on his pants. “Are you guys coming?” Blonde hair was brushed haphazardly off of a pale forehead as their two new friends declined the offer.

“I’d feel like we were intruding.” Niki explained. “But if you want to come back after, we’ll be here for you.” Her voice was warm and full of affection. She pulled Dream and George into a hug, all three knowing that this would probably be goodbye, at least for now.

“You two are honorary citizens of the village.” Sam said, pulling them into his own hug after Niki finally let go. It was tender and warm, George unused to having people close to him that he actually trusted other than Dream. He was comfortable, he realized, and if he wasn’t comfortable, at least his anxiety had quieted to a manageable level. There were some people who were impossible to distrust, and after they literally saved his and Dream’s life, they had definitely earned that trust. “Any time you need us, we’re here.” Sam tried unsuccessfully to mask the wobble of his lip.

George was going to miss them a lot he realized, even if they had asked him an impossible task, he understood. He would’ve done the same thing if he were in their situation- desperate to find any way to save his home. He almost stopped the pair to tell them that as they waved goodbye and walked through the door, but found himself rooted to the spot. All he could do was force out the word ‘ _ goodbye. _ ’

Dream and George wasted little time collecting their meager belongings from their spaces, the culmination of their collection was the brunette hefting the bag of stones onto his shoulder to save his partner the pain. When they reached the door, George found himself looking back at the room that had been his home for the past two days. It was probably weird for him to feel sentimental over a space he’d barely occupied, but he knew he was. The icy precipitation that stuck to the glass of the window was a stark contrast to the sunlight that was streaming through the day before. He remembered the way Dream’s eyes sparkled in the golden light, dark circles and knotted hair doing nothing to detract from his beauty.

“C’mon, let’s thank Eret.” Dream encouraged, eyes full of emotion as he looked down at George. 

“I wish we could pay him somehow.” The brunette’s brow furrowed at the thought. Out of everyone, Eret had done the most for the two of them; from providing medical care to clothing, Eret had been as gracious of a host as anyone else George had ever known. Dream carefully grabbed George’s free hand, interlacing their fingers while keeping his eyes on the older’s face to watch for any signs of discomfort. Despite the negative feelings brewing in his chest, George forced himself to focus on the warm weight of Dream’s palm against his own. 

The floor released its familiar creaks as they made their way out of the back of the apothecary and into the shop part of the building where Eret was busy restocking shelves. The minute he heard the door behind the counter squeak open he paused what he was doing to turn around and look at the pair. His eyes were still tired and sad, just the same as they’d been the first time George saw him. It made him wonder what had happened to Eret to make such a kind man so troubled.

“On your way out?” He asked with a sullen smile, eyes crinkling a bit at the corners. 

“We thought you might want your recovery room back.” Dream bantered. Eret walked towards them, on his way over picking up two large backpacks that were on the floor next to the counter. He placed them next to the register with a grunt: they were obviously quite heavy.

“You know I don’t mind having you guys here.” His eyes latched onto George’s, as if he were trying to convey some sort of message. “It’s been nice having people around. It gets lonely sometimes being in the shop all by myself.” Eret unsnapped the flap of one of the backpacks and opened it up.

“You didn’t have to do all of this for us you know. We don’t know how to thank you-” George said, but was waved off.

“You can thank me by considering what I talked to you about yesterday morning.” He replied offhandedly. George looked away at the mention of Eret’s advice. ‘ _ Holding this type of trauma in is bad for you. It can tear you apart _ .’ He’d said. Dream looked at him in confusion.

“Uh, I think I was passed out at that point. Care to explain?” George ignored the question in favor of looking into the overstuffed pack before him.

“So what kind of stuff is in here? Any more of those pork chops from last night?” 

“There’s a lot of basic survival stuff.” Eret explained, leaving Dream to wonder to himself what the hell he was being left out of. “Blankets, matches, bandages-” He dug through the bag, trying not to disrupt the items too much. “Oh, one more thing-” Eret walked into one of the storage rooms for a moment, leaving Dream and George alone. The brunette adjusted the heavy bag of stones on his shoulder with a light grunt. Dream frowned.

“Do you want me to carry that?” He offered. George quickly shook his head in refusal. Dream was still injured- he wouldn’t be doing anything that could hurt him more. The blonde cocked his head to the side, a smirk resting on his lips as he reached out a hand to take the bag. “Aw come  _ on _ Georgie, let me help-”

“No, Dream.” George snapped. Dream’s smile immediately disappeared, his hand dropping once again to his side. Guilt washed over the smaller man as he quickly tried to stutter an apology. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be a dick. I’ve got the bag, don’t worry.”  _ I don’t want you to think I’m too weak to protect you _ . Dream nodded, the light coming back to his eyes a bit.

“My big strong man.” He cooed, pinching George’s cheek like a mother would, receiving a roll of the eyes and a light smack to the arm.

“Behave.” The two gigged a bit as Eret came back into the room, two swords in hand, as well as some leather contraptions. 

“Sam dropped these with me before him and Niki went in to see you guys this morning.” He explained, laying the weapons carefully on the wood of the counter. George’s eyes lit up as they washed over the expanse of dark grey and the leather grip. It had been months since he held a sword, and he was anxious to get his hands on one again. “They’re stone- that was the best the blacksmith could make on such short notice.” Eret explained as both of the men in front of him took the weapons in hand. “Sam wanted to give you two of his old back-strap scabbards that he wasn’t using anymore as well. Just as something to remember us by.” George quickly strapped the scabbard on, the buckles similar to the scabbard he’d left in the other village before the kidnapping. It felt right to have on; almost as if nothing had changed.

A look to the side revealed that Dream had the same idea, scabbard already strapped to his back. The leather grip of his stone sword fit his large hand perfectly, the veins bulging enticingly as he tried a few practice swings. George couldn’t help but stare-  _ this _ guy had feelings for him? This handsome, muscular hero with emerald eyes, rugged scars, and a sunny smile could have anyone on the planet, and he chose him. Dream ran a finger across the sharp blade, testing the balance, probably already running through strategies for fighting with the new weapon in his head.

“Eret, I don’t know what to say-” He let out a nervous laugh, sliding the sword easily into the scabbard with a flourish. George thought he might’ve drooled- since when was his stupid blonde boy so sexy while putting a sword away?

“A thank you will suffice.” He laughed, closing up the pack in front of him and pushing it over to George, then the unopened one went to Dream.

“Thank you, so much.” George attempted to put unending amounts of gratitude in his tone. Eret just shrugged lightly.

“Those are from Sam, I had no part in it.” George put his bag on over the scabbard, the handle of his sword slightly tilted so he would easily be able to grab and unsheath it by reaching across his body and over his right shoulder. He silently decided that he would get his hands on a bow and arrow as soon as possible.

The three men made their way to the door of the small apothecary, hearing the ice hit the pavement outside. Eret handed George an umbrella.

“I have a feeling we’ll be meeting again someday.” Eret said. The finality of the statement caused a pulling in George’s chest- he’d only known the man for a few days but already felt an immense attachment. Eret pulled George into a tight hug that felt like a promise. Without hesitation that promise was returned.

“If we don’t I think the world might collapse.” George joked as they stepped apart. Eret smiled in recognition and hugged Dream, whispering something in his ear. The blonde nodded in response to whatever was said, then the two parted. George thought nothing of it- probably a few final words of advice.

Soon the door was opened along with a black umbrella. George adjusted his glasses before stepping outside, the chill in the air immediately seeping into his bones. The normally bright and lively village was now grey and deserted: to be expected, but the lack of noise just made the situation feel more like a dream.

“Follow that path, it goes straight down to the beach.” He pointed up main street: George remembered that route from when Sam carried him up. “Stay safe out there, you two.” Eret said finally, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. “The road ahead certainly won’t be easy, but I have faith in both of you. And if you ever need somewhere to stay, you will always be welcome.” He finished with a wave, then turned to walk back into the warmth and light of the store. The second that the apothecary’s door closed, Dream and George knew that they were on their own.

They walked silently, the sleet numbing their toes and the tips of their fingers. George insisted that Dream get the umbrella, using the excuse that his hands were already full. In truth, he just wanted to make sure that the blonde would be as comfortable as possible.

The wet leaves on the path were slippery as they walked further and further, no people appearing in their path. The sound of the ice disrupting the foliage was rather calming- if they focused hard enough, maybe the frozen pellets raining down on them would somehow turn into a soft summer rain. As the crashing of the waves finally reached the pairs’ ears, George spotted something out of the corner of his eye: a tall stalk blooming with purplish pink flowers.

Lilacs.

“Hold on a second.” He’d said to Dream, who immediately halted in his progress to watch George make his way almost nervously to the dying flower, and take one of the stalks curiously in his hand. “Bad was right. They  _ are _ pink.”

“What else would they be?” George plucked one of the last flowers from the rest of the plant, feeling the softness of its petals between his fingers. A regretful smile crossed his face as he adjusted his new glasses.

“I always saw them as a baby blue…” He made his way back to Dream’s side, the two able to see the murky ocean from the crest of a small hill. “I think I prefer them that way.” Dream shrugged; he was trying to subtly cover George with the umbrella while the shorter was distracted.

The cobblestones turned abruptly to sand soon enough, the particles packed tightly together from the freezing rain so their boots wouldn’t sink. The ocean which had seemed so calm and welcoming days before now looked cold and ruthless; the water was grey and angry, the waves seeming to scrape the heavens. The wind whipped George’s hair into his face so much so that he gave up trying to right it. A forceful shiver wracked its way through his lean body, teeth chattering loudly, but still he surveyed the scene for the perfect place to honor their friends.

“How about there?” Dream pointed to a large willow tree right on the edge of the beach, where soil met sand. On the side closest to the waves there was a dune blown against the truck, sparsely decorated with flowing dune grass.

“It’s perfect.” George said in response, immediately beginning the hike over. 

As the pair approached, it was easy to see that Dream had picked the best possible place. The tresses of the leaves and the long boughs of the ancient tree kept a large portion of the sand and grass dry and safe from the precipitation. Near the trunk there was a fallen birds’ nest half buried in the white rocks and shells. The presence of that nest made George realize something- the world was relatively silent, in that moment. The only things to be heard were the rhythmic crashing of the waves, the whistle of the wind, and the pitter patter of the ice hitting the leaves. It was as if the animals were preparing to grieve as well.

Dream dropped his pack to the ground gently, his sword and leather sheath following. There was an unreadable look in his eye, one that George found he couldn’t quite recognize. George placed his belongings on the ground as well, being sure to put them in a relatively dry place. His and Dream’s breath fogged slightly as the bag of stones that had been weighing the brunette down was opened and its contents carefully pulled out. 

Quickly, the stones were placed in a semicircle close to the wide trunk of the willow with freezing and shaking fingers. ‘ _ Tubbo, Tommy, Wilbur, Skeppy, Bad, Sapnap _ ’ was the order him and Dream decided on without even speaking a word. Dream leaned back on his heels in the squat he held, George standing protectively behind him, arms crossed. There was something in his chest; a weight, as if a million ghasts decided to make his body their home.

“George, I-” Dream’s voice breaking brought the brunette out of the stupor he’d found himself trapped in. “I miss them. I want them to come back.” His voice was soft and broken, the same way it was when they’d run away from their villages as kids.There was a difference now, though.

Back then George had been able to cry too. He’d felt the same pain, and anguish, and  _ fear _ . 

Now he felt nothing but pressure in his abdomen as he nodded- a gesture that the blonde couldn’t even see.

Dream fell forward to his knees, palms gripping at the loose sand below him.

“It’s my fault so many of you died.” His voice shook as he spoke; a mixture of anger and frustration and utter  _ heartbreak _ . George wanted to step in and say that it wasn’t true what he was saying, but he decided not to. It would be best if Dream had his moment to feel what he needed to feel. It would be healthy for him. “You all had so much life left to live. Tubbo, you were such a fucking light in everyone’s lives, you had the potential to be the world’s next great leader with the kindness and brains you had.” He swallowed harshly to regain a bit of composure, squeezing green eyes shut to hold himself together long enough to speak. “ _ Fuck,  _ and Tommy I know you’re not in hell. I know you’re not, I know it. What I said to you was wrong, it was so goddamn  _ fucked up _ .” Sobs were now coming out of his body in force, shoulders shaking and throat constricting to make every breath a challenge. George dropped to his knees beside the blonde, still staying silent but attempting to be a comfort, to be  _ something _ . “You were a kid! You were  _ just like me _ , and I didn’t see that. I didn’t see that you were just scared, and my stupidity got you killed. That was me.”

The stones offered no answer, and no rebuttal. They just sat there, the names on them carved carefully by Niki’s talented hand. It was all they had left, and it was nowhere near enough.

“I- Sapnap we should’ve done more.” The blonde continued. At the naming of their best friend, George’s heart constricted more. “You were innocent, we knew that.” Dream’s tears dripped onto the sand along with the water from his hair, making a small puddle under his bowed head. “We knew and we let them take you. We deserve to live the rest of our lives with your hatred. We earned it. But it’ll never, not for one day, stop hurting. I’ll hear those words in my brain until I die, but you will  _ always _ be my best friend.” Now seemed like a race for Dream to get out all of the words he’d had trapped in his brain before he inevitably broke down completely. “I barely even  _ knew _ Wilbur and Skeppy. But they were good, and kind, and strong. I can’t believe I had the balls to be  _ jealous _ of Wilbur, when I should’ve instead been learning from him. I’m so, so sorry.”

George’s fingers were beginning to numb at their place resting on his thighs. He gnawed on his lip until the familiar taste of copper coated his tongue. He’d never been good with expressing his feelings, but usually he knew what they felt like. Just because he didn’t enjoy letting people know about his pain didn’t mean that he never  _ felt  _ it. He’d been good at letting his emotions be known while on the ship, especially the positive ones. He knew how to feel.

He thought he did, anyway.

“Bad…” Dream started, then got caught in a mess of sobs. George’s hand went slowly to his pocket as he took in the whimpers and choked cries of the man beside him. His fingers played gently with the petals of the newly picked flower. He pulled it out gently and looked at it, the pink containing slightly enough blue to contrast with the red undertones of his freezing fingers. His brow furrowed.

George lifted his glasses to perch on top of his head, white lenses resting in the tangles of brown hair that resided there. The world shifted a bit, and suddenly the flower in his hand was that familiar baby blue. ‘ _ You’re special, you get to see the world in a way that none of us can.’  _

He leaned forwards, Dream’s watery eyes following the movement. George lifted the stone inscribed lovingly with Bad’s name, and put the flower underneath, then leaned back. The brunette cleared his throat a bit.

“You understood me, Bad.” George started slowly. “I thought that the world was built for people that could truly see, and not just in full color, but you showed me that I was wrong. You didn’t force me to grow, you held my hand through the process and never judged me, not for a second.” The knot in his chest began seemingly to unravel. “Whatever was on that ship wasn’t you, Dream and I are fully aware. You’ll be remembered as the man who saved us all those years ago, and nothing less. You will always be my brother.” He finished. There was a steady silence for just a moment.

Suddenly Dream collapsed into George’s side, tears flowing freely down a splotchy and red face. After a brief second of shock the brunette reacted, shifting their positions carefully so that he was facing the younger man in front of him, making it easier for Dream to bury his head into George’s chest. He was cold, but it was impossible to tell whether the shakes overtaking the taller man’s body were the results of his world rocking sobs or the freezing weather.

George ran his fingers through Dream’s wet hair gently, hugging his head to his chest while the blonde tightly wrapped long arms around his torso. It wasn’t exactly comfortable for George, but he didn’t care: all that mattered to him in that moment was Dream. He pressed a light kiss to the top of cold blonde hair in between gentle strokes of his fingers, not knowing any other way to soothe Dream’s pain. 

“I killed him.” He whispered once the sobs had subsided a bit. George’s fingers paused. “I put that knife in his throat, George. I murdered him with my own hands.”

‘ _ I about did the same thing to you _ .’ 

“That wasn’t Bad when you killed him. There was no saving him.” George comforted. The sleet was starting to come down harder, bits of ice making their ways through the willow’s tresses to land on the pair below, not that it much mattered- they were both freezing anyway. He leaned back and gently grabbed Dream’s chin, angling a runny nose, splotchy face, and wide yellow eyes so that they were focused only on him. “You are  _ NOT _ a murderer, Dream.” He said firmly. “What you did out there was survival, you had no choice. He would’ve killed us both without hesitation- the Imposter almost killed  _ you _ .” George cradled Dream’s face in his hands, running long thumbs over high cheekbones to wipe away the onslaught of tears that ran down cheeks that must’ve been pink from cold and cries. His scar stood out starkly against the flushed background, a bright white jagged line that intersected his tear tracks. 

Eventually the sobs came to a close, tears becoming rare. George just held Dream tightly under the safety of the willow, fully aware that he should be concerned that he hadn’t shed a single tear of his own.

He looked over the younger’s shoulder, eyes washing over the stones forlornly. For all that they’d done for the world and all they’d had the potential to do, it seemed like they deserved better than stone grave markers made by a stranger.

“We should probably move on.” Dream said an indeterminable amount of time later, leaning away from George’s warm embrace to take a shaky breath. He reached out to put the glasses back over the brunette’s eyes with a soft grin. “C’mon, you can’t miss the chance to see my eyes this red.” He joked. George’s features scrunched up a bit.

“You aren’t embarrassed for crying, are you?” Dream looked away, fiddling with his sheath and throwing it over his shoulder to avoid George’s eyes. 

“I mean no, it just feels weird to be all emotional while you’re just, you know, not.” He admitted, getting to his feet with a labored huff. George followed, collecting his things to prepare for their journey off into the cold.

“I’m feeling it all. It just hasn’t fully hit yet I think.” He brushed it off, Dream seeming to do the same. “Are you sure you’re ready to leave them behind?” George asked at a whisper. Dream was silent, eyes raking over every stone before he answered.

“If we don’t go now I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to.” He said. A brave look plastered on his face he gave George a simple nod as confirmation, the pair finally turning away.

The cold continued to settle on their bones as they walked out from under the relative safety of the willow, Dream insisting on sharing the umbrella as much as they possibly could. It felt strange to leave their friends behind, even symbolically. George knew that he was still carrying some with him, somehow. He felt heavy, his heart full of lead. 

He was cold and tired, the day having hardly begun but his emotions already having been drained. He could hardly feel the sleet anymore as Dream interlocked their freezing hands.

“It’s you and me against the world.” He said, eyes focused on the cove before them. They’d have to follow the beach until sundown, then the next day they’d be travelling through the woods.

“You and me, together.” George replied, forcing a brave smile to his lips. He would get over this. For Dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, I hope you’re enjoying the story!! We’ll be into the main plot soon enough, but for now I hope the angst and ptsd isn’t too boring hehe. I love you all, make sure you leave kudos and comments and all that jazz. For fic update info, bonus content, and other MCYT content, follow me on Twitter @azkaabanter <3


	4. Journey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M ON A HIGH RN BC I JUST GOT INTO MY FIRST COLLEGE WOOOO!!! Anywhoooo thank you to my incredible friend and beta @TheLittleStar_tm!!! Enjoy the chapter!!

The weather seemed only to worsen by the hour. Still though they hiked on along the shore, dodging waves that broke much too close to them for comfort. The mood was heavy, as expected- they’d just left the likenesses of their murdered friends behind, after all.

George could feel the tension radiating off of Dream’s body in waves, alternating with shivers and weak attempts at conversation. There were some times, even between Dream and George, where conversation just couldn’t flow. 

Any and all sporadic tears had stopped flowing from forest green eyes in favor of an inherent wariness that only increased as the day wore on. They tried to stay away from the forest line out of fear that monsters would be able to attack them. George shivered roughly, the ice caking in his hair and eyelashes weighing his eyelids down. New glasses had been carefully folded closed and placed into his pack- the freezing rain sticking to the lenses had rendered them useless.

“I think we should start looking for a place to spend the night.” Dream remarked, eyes scanning the woodline for paths or caves. He was right: even with the endless cloudy skies it was easy to tell that their light level was dropping rapidly with the coming onset of night. The two began to hike carefully into the foliage, George drawing his sword and angling his body in a way that would make it easy to protect the taller blonde next to him.

The woods were drier, the thick canopy having caught most of the endless ice. The spruce trees were bunched closely together, surrounded with brambly bushes laden with bloodred berries. It was odd for a darkwood forest to grow so closely to the coastline, but George had been in enough weird environments to not care about it anymore. The rattle of bones nearby made him tense ever further, eyes squinting into the darkness to find the threat.

“Look!” Dream’s sudden excitement caused George to let out a small surprised yelp, frozen cheeks growing ever pinker with a blush. Dream grabbed his shoulder to turn the smaller man’s body so that he’d see what was being pointed to: a small cave entrance. George grinned and nodded at the blonde, both immediately taking off to get to the dryness and relative warmth that the small cave would likely provide.

“After you, good sir.” George joked lightly, motioning for Dream to enter. The aforementioned man rolled his eyes before sinking into a low curtsey.

“Why thank you, such a gentleman.” He snarked, but entered all the same, George following close behind.

Thankfully, the cave was just a small divet and not the entrance to a massive ravine or cave system. The mottled grey walls were fairly smooth from wind blowing sand against the sides for a millenia, and the ground was a soft layer of spruce needles that had blown in as well. It would be more than perfect for a one night stay- just like old times.

Dream stretched after placing his pack and the umbrella on the ground, soaked shirt sticking to the defined lines of his stomach in a way that made George just about drool. Dream caught the warm brown eyes on him- of course he did- and had the nerve to smirk. George quickly cast his gaze away as his cheeks burned, placing his own bag onto the needles. His shoulders and lower back were sore from the weight, but he found he didn’t mind the pain in comparison to the icy pinpricks that had been seeping into his bones for hours.

“You’re an idiot.” He muttered, receiving only a bark of a laugh in return. 

“Oh  _ Geoooorge _ .” Dream goaded, walking up to the brunette with a wicked grin on his face, white teeth flashing in the low light offered by the cave’s entrance. George offered a fake sigh of indignation whilst turning away to look outside and judge whether or not there would be time for a hunt before the monster problem started to become more apparent.

“Sorry, I can’t hear you over the sound of my epic survival skills.” 

“Oh come on now-”

“You said the thing-”

“ _ George! _ ” The brunette had begun to turn around with a huff, but found his midsection enveloped by two strong arms from behind, their owner stooping down to press his cold nose into George’s neck. The shorter giggled, his heart warming a bit for the first time that day, despite his sopping clothes.

“You’re so stupid Dream, let me go!” He laughed, the arms around him only tightening as Dream shook his head in the juncture of his neck and shoulder, letting out a soft noise of refusal. A fluttery feeling took over George’s stomach, the warmth travelling through his limbs to push out the ice which had been filling him. 

“Not until you say something nice to me.” Dream said, the words muffled by George’s coat. Any resistance left in George’s body melted away as his heart turned to mush at the words. Dream felt so solid behind him, a mass of muscle and sinew that could tear any enemies to bits, mixed with genius level IQ and the cleverness of a fox. It was a deadly combination, but here he was, hanging off of George begging for the shorter man to give him positive reinforcement. This was his best friend since childhood behind him, who trusted George enough to be vulnerable and happy.

The weight began to settle back onto George’s chest, coldness fighting its way back into his veins. Memories of the blonde bleeding out below him with a knife piercing his chest as he begged for George to believe him bubbled to the surface. 

“You have pretty eyes.” George muttered, trying to keep his tone playful so as to not upset Dream with his sudden mood change. The latter seemed to take this response well enough, and finally backed off.

“You can’t see my eyes fully without the goggles on, but I’ll allow it because you’re cute.” He flirted, unaware of the dark shift within his companion. Dream looked out into the forest from their hideaway, the dark making him squint. “Why don’t you get the fire going and start drying out your clothes while I find us some dinner? If I don’t find anything by the time the monsters get hungry, I’ll come back and we can just ration whatever Eret packed for us.” He decided, running a hand through shaggy wet hair. George’s heart froze thinking about Dream out there in the dark and sleet, an arrow piercing his chest or a zombie taking a bite out of his arm. No, absolutely not.

“Uh, why don’t I go hunt?” George suggested, trying to sound casual while his heart was beating out of his chest. Dream glanced at him with a puzzled expression that was almost unable to be seen in the twilight. 

“Why? I’m better at sword hunting.” He wasn’t wrong there. George wracked his mind for an excuse, a reason,  _ anything _ that would keep Dream from going out there alone.

“You’re also better at making fires.” He pointed out weakly. “You and I both know that I’d barely have a spark by the time you got back if I were put up to the task.” Dream seemed to consider the suggestion, oblivious to the way George was holding his breath.

“George you’re literally not even bad at it, you just need to hold the flint and steel in a steadier grip-“

“Please?” George cut him off. There was a bit more desperation in his voice than had been intended, but Dream’s slightly surprised expression which melted into one of complacency proved that it had worked. The manipulation didn’t exactly make him feel good, especially after Dream had been trying his best to lighten the mood, but there was just no way in hell that George would let him out into the night to get colder and possibly die when George could take his place. Dream had already offered his life up once for him, and that would be the last time.

“Yeah, okay. Just,  _ please _ don’t do anything stupid, yeah?” Dream conceded. He turned to look outside, the low light making his expression impossible to read now that he wasn’t facing George. The anxiety in the brunette’s chest dropped considerably as he let out a tense breath, nodding in agreement.

“Me? Do something stupid? Never.” George brushed off, pulling his wet jacket tighter around his shoulders. He walked outside, taking note of what the cliff they resided in looked like so he’d easily be able to find his way back. One of the things George prided himself on was his sense of direction- it took a lot for him to get lost. He turned back for a moment, taking in Dream’s silhouette in the entrance while ice gathered once more in his hair. “I’ll be back within the hour.” He promised, then bounded off into the twilight without hearing the ‘ _ good luck _ ’ that fell from pink lips behind him.

The woods were silent other than the sound of ice hitting leaves above and the rare scurries of rabbits and squirrels in the undergrowth. George himself was silent, the spruce needles and dead deciduous leaves making a blanket to enhance well practiced stealth. He was normally a bow hunter, his precision and the effortless way he could knock arrows and hit targets perfectly becoming an asset to their small team. It helped them in trading too- a butcher was much more likely to take a doe with an arrow clean through the eye than one with its head hacked off roughly with the blunt edge of a sword or axe.

Still though, George knew how to handle himself with a blade quite well. He drew his sword from the sheath, leather grip cold and slippery from the ice which had coated it on their journey. He cringed at the sound of a twig snapping under his boots, or the rustle of undergrowth around his ankles. Any noise could cost him and Dream a hot meal, and he certainly wasn’t keen on that idea.

The rattle of bones in the distance made it known that his time to hunt was short, so he wasted no time in moving ever further.

It was another twenty minutes before George found what he was looking for- a lone doe, grazing on the red berries at the base of an ancient spruce log. It was hard to tell in the low light, but she looked young, probably little more than an adolescent. 

George’s hand tightened on the hilt of the stone sword.

He’d gotten over the ‘feeling bad’ part of hunting years ago.

Lightly he trotted over to a nearby bush in a crouch, praying that he was downwind of the animal. This could be his only chance to get a kill in before the woods got more dangerous- he had to make this count. 

The doe lifted its head up for a moment, scanning the area with ears flickering in all directions to listen for threats; George waited nearby with baited breath, praying that he wouldn’t be heard while his fingers shook and his breath puffed whilst escaping his lips. Eventually she dropped her head back to the ground, nosing around for anything else she could eat. That was when he made his move.

In a flash George jumped out from behind the bush and bolted for the deer, boots keeping traction on the slippery forest floor. He saw the fear in the animal’s eyes for a split second as he raised his sword, then watched the light leave when he brought the blade down on her neck at the top of where he knew the spinal cord to be, severing it in one blow. His chest heaved as the doe dropped to the ground, lifeless. No point in prolonging the pain.

George dropped to his knees quickly, not wasting any time. He couldn’t risk skinning it here- not with monsters beginning to roam. Plus, he knew that his attacks would be slower and more weak due to his freezing body and the exhaustion from the day’s events and travels. No, it would be safer and more efficient to bring the kill back to Dream. 

He dropped his bloody sword to the ground and put the carcass over his shoulder, grunting under the heavy weight. George wasn’t weak in any way- he was an apt fighter and skilled hunter, usually underestimated by opponents who didn’t know his abilities. To the common eye he was a lanky, sinewy man who looked as if a teenager could beat him in a sword fighting match. It didn’t take more than five minutes in combat with him for those people to be proven gravely mistaken.

Sword in hand he got to his feet and paused, listening hard for any enemies. The only noise was the wind rustling spruce boughs overhead. George took a deep breath, adjusting the still warm kill on his shoulders, then set off back to camp.

The hike was slow, seeming to take much longer on the way back than it did on the way out. The woods were now fully black, night having set in completely. Low growls from zombies gave the brunette goosebumps as he tried to stay as silent as possible to not attract negative attention. Usually he would be bounding through the forest without a second thought to the threat of monsters; clad in a full suit of iron armor and armed to the teeth with all sorts of weapons, he’d always felt invincible whilst fighting lowly monsters like skeletons and spiders.

Maybe he  _ was  _ invincible, considering that in the worst case scenario, he could always respawn. Now, he didn’t have that option.

After another stretch of hiking and the inkling fear that maybe his sense of direction had failed him, George finally saw a light in the distance. He went faster, the deer’s blood seeping into his jacket and probably making more of a mess of his hair. Not that it mattered- Dream would just have to deal with the scent of deer blood later that night, but it was a small price to pay. Soon enough the cave came into view, just in time for the weariness to truly set in.

“Dream!” He called out. Maybe not the best thing he could’ve done in a monster infested forest, but by that point logical thought had gone out the window. George was tired, sore, and hungry. If a skeleton came out of the woods and shot him, he’d probably thank it for putting him out of his misery.

George saw his companion’s head poke out from the cave’s entrance quickly, as if he’d been waiting there for the brunette’s return. For some reason just seeing that mop of wavy hair set George at ease- it was confirmation that he was still alive. 

Dream ran out to greet him, eyes and grin widening when he registered the deer that rested on George’s shoulders.

“I hope you’re hungry.” He grunted when the pair was close enough to the cave for the light to wash over the ground.

“You know I stay starving.” Dream replied, helping lower the animal carcass to the forest floor. Immediately he pulled out a knife from his back pocket to begin the skinning process as George sat down and leaned against the cliff face to catch his breath. Brown eyes shut softly, feeling safe enough to let his guard down a bit now that he was in Dream’s presence again. He shivered roughly, but couldn’t find the energy to crawl inside to where the fire was. Or maybe his body was protesting the idea of leaving Dream outside in the dark by himself. “I forgot how precise you were with a sword.” Dream’s impressed voice pulled George out of his thoughts. He let out a chuckle.

“You underestimate my power.” He joked. It felt like the tips of his fingers were going to break off with how cold they were.

“I absolutely do not.” Dream shot back, a bit of defensiveness seeping in. “I just, I dunno…” He trailed off, the sound of tearing flesh reaching George’s ears instead as the deer was further broken down by Dream’s skilled hands.

“Hm?” George cracked open tired eyes again, watching the way hands he knew to be gentle and loving carved up the animal in front of him with precision. He blew damp hair out of his eyes as he worked, stopping momentarily to rub an itchy freckled nose on his shoulder. Dream was just clad in a long sleeved t-shirt, his jacket probably inside drying by the fire.

“Sometimes I forget how skilled you are. Like, you’re so good at everything.” He said offhandedly, as if those words didn’t make George’s heart flutter. “You’re probably one of the best archers I’ve ever seen, you know. And you’re  _ so _ fucking smart, George.” Dream continued to praise whilst slicing bits of meat off the bones of the deer carcass to cook.

“You flatter me.” George said tiredly. Dream shrugged, getting to his feet with dinner in bloody hands, a small smile on his lips.

“I would never lie, especially not to you.” He started to walk inside while George struggled to his feet. “You need to learn how to accept a compliment, you know.” The blonde threw over his shoulder. George just shook his head and followed Dream inside.

The cave was still cool, but unlike outside George couldn’t see the puff of his breath, which he saw as an absolute win.

“I like what you’ve done to the place.” He took off the scabbard strapped to his back and leaned his bloody sword against the wall gingerly while taking in the space that Dream had prepared for them. Dream smiled sunnily at George from beside the fire, where he’d set up a grate over some set aside coals to lay the venison on. 

The spruce and dead leaves had been cleared from a spot close to the cave’s entrance to make way for a large fire, the smoke mostly making its way out into the night. Back further were two sleeping rolls, pushed fairly close together, and their bags of supplies. They didn’t have much, but they’d make do.

Movement in the corner of George’s eye made him turn to find Dream stripping from his wet shirt to place it near his jacket to dry. Fuck, he would never get used to that sight no matter how many times he got to watch it, and Dream had to know exactly what he was doing, too. George wished he had his glasses on so he could take everything in fully, but he didn’t want to miss a second of the show because he was rummaging through his bag.

“You really should get out of those wet clothes, you know.” Dream’s low voice pulled George’s attention to his face, expression making the brunette’s breath hitch. Bottom lip held between his teeth and yellow eyes sparkling maniacally with something else that couldn’t quite be placed, Dream looked unfairly masculine, almost like a god. It was  _ doing something _ to George, making heat pool in the pit of his stomach like he was a teenager again. He looked away, face burning for the umpteenth time that evening. 

“Yeah yeah.” He brushed off the swirling feelings of want in his stomach whilst shedding his jacket and walking over to lay it on the ground next to Dream’s. This wasn’t the time or place to be feeling what he was feeling. There had been a funeral that morning, Dream had broken down in his arms. It felt gross to want anything in that moment, especially the things that were going through his head when he looked at the muscles in the blonde’s back and shoulders as he cooked.

“There’s a small waterfall about 50 yards down from the cave coming off the cliff face.” Dream said casually. “It’s cold as a bitch but you probably want to get the blood off.” George looked down at his hands, covered with congealing deer gore. It felt all too familiar.

“Thank god, I really didn’t want to eat with this on my hands.” The joke didn’t seem to land. He walked outside again, noticing that the sleet had finally stopped. 

“Get that shit out of your hair too! I will  _ not _ be cuddling with you tonight if I have to smell that.” Dream called.

“Noted!” George shouted in return. He found the waterfall with ease, a hand trailing on the cliff face until his eyes adjusted once again to the darkness. The freezing water brought a hiss from his lips, but still he scrubbed the blood from his hands, and endured the torture of washing the stickiness from his hair and neck. By the time he had finished, George was very excited by the prospect of being wrapped in Dream’s furnace-like warmth later that night. “Yeah have fun with that, I swear between the sleet and the springwater I’m never gonna be warm- Dream?”

Dream was staring at a wall when George entered the cave again, cooked food deposited on a plate beside him. His eyes were wide and scared, and his jaw was clenched. It looked like he’d seen a ghost.

George immediately dropped to his knees, heart beating faster than he thought possible. “Dream? What’s wrong? Are you okay?” He asked frantically. George remembered the blonde having a similar expression on  _ The Skeld _ after he’d woken up from healing the day before they landed. He’d stared down the hallway, and asked George if he’d seen something, but there had been nothing to see. “Please talk to me, please-“

Oh, the irony.

“I-” Dream swallowed and took a deep breath, the tenseness leaking slowly from his body. “I’m okay, don’t worry.” George didn’t believe it for a second, but Dream placed a gentle hand on his arm, eyes pleading with him to drop it. So he did.

“Okay, just making sure.” There was a filled silence for a moment, broken by the clearing of George’s throat. “Well I’m starving, I think I’m gonna dig in and head to bed.” Dream grinned, expressing his desire to do the same.

There was definitely something wrong- a person doesn’t just stare at a wall with that look on their face as a prank. Something  _ scared _ him, and Dream didn’t scare easily.

Instead of walking to the waterfall, George insisted that Dream just use some of their drinking water to wash off his hands to ‘ _ save him the walk _ ,’ as he’d put it. Dream honestly looked too tired to argue, so he did so quickly and sat with his back against the cave wall to eat alongside George, who had just taken off his boots and wet socks, placing them to dry beside the fire. He decided he would keep his shirt on until it was time to go to bed.

Both men ate in silence, ravenous to the point where talking would seem impolite. The way the fat coated George’s tongue and the gristle stuck to his fingers made it feel like this was the best cut of meat he’d ever consumed in his life. He ate until he was stuffed, and knew that in the morning there would be plenty more to strip from the doe’s bones to cook for breakfast and store away to eat during the rest of their journey. It felt like old times almost, though the absence of Bad and Sapnap was constantly weighing on the young adventurer like a bag of bricks.

Soon enough Dream was finished as well, and in relative silence they prepared for bed in any ways they could; Dream slipped off his pants to dry, preferring to be cold during the night in his boxers rather than be miserable the entire next day with them remaining soaked. George did the same, removing his shirt as well. Honestly both were too exhausted to care about how they were close to naked and would be pressed up against one another. 

They pushed both sleeping pads together and put both of their blankets on top rather than sleeping separately- it was too cold to even think of doing so, especially in their states of undress. Dream somehow ended up cradling George, chest pressed up against the smaller’s back and arms wrapped around his hips protectively. George could feel Dream’s stubble rough against his shoulder- not that he minded. His sword was close next to him in case there was a need for it. Usually one of them would stand guard while the other slept and they’d have shifts, but they both knew that neither would be able to stay awake long enough for that type of plan to be effective.

“George?” Dream’s voice rumbled, the timbre causing goosebumps to break out on pale skin. George hummed in response to show that he was listening, though his mind was already beginning to drift into unconsciousness. “I hope you know that you’re allowed to be sad about the funeral today. And if you didn’t cry because of me in any way… I’m sorry.” 

George tried to respond, he really did. He even said something in his head- ‘  
_  
It wasn’t you I just feel numb whenever I think about them and I think there’s something wrong  
_  
,’ but apparently those words never saw the light of day because the next thing he knew, the world was fading to black.

The next morning George awoke to sunlight beaming directly into his eyes. He groaned and attempted to roll over out of the harsh light, but found that he had an arm around his chest, one around his shoulder, and his legs entangled with a certain tall blonde man who lay snoring softly behind him. The night had dropped the temperature ever more, the breath of the two puffing up once it exited their lips. George took note that their fire from last night was reduced to ashes- hopefully they would still be warm enough to rekindle into something they could make breakfast on.

“Dream.” He whispered, rolling a bit to try and jostle the taller awake: all that accomplished was strong arms holding him tighter. George rolled his eyes, a dopey grin crossing his features. Dream had always been a physical person, but now that George was finally  _ his _ , all bets apparently were off. “Oh  _ Dreaaaam _ .” He tried again, a bit louder this time. Somehow he managed to flip around, now pressed chest to chest with the object of his affections. His heart warmed at the scrunched up nose- a signature part of Dream’s pout.

“Five more minutes.” He complained, burying his face sleepily into George’s warm chest. 

“You can have five more minutes if you let me get up so I can start breakfast.” The brunette said, maneuvering his arm in a way that allowed him to play with the hair at the base of Dream’s neck.

“Five more minutes of Gogy cuddles.” He specified, earning himself a giggle from pink lips.

“You’re unfairly adorable, you know that right?” George asked, feeling Dream nod against him. He scoffed goodnaturedly. “Of course you do.” So like the sucker he was, George stayed the whole five minutes (probably longer) and even then had to basically pry himself out of Dream’s strong arms.

“You’re mean.” Dream complained as George got dressed, happy to find that his clothes were fully dry. He looked over to find Dream propped up on his elbows, chest and stomach on display as the blanket pooled at his waist. Freckles dotted the skin of his shoulders, neck, and cheeks like little stars forming constellations. 

“I’m making you breakfast, I think that makes me a pretty nice boyfriend.” George said with an eyeroll, then paused.  _ Boyfriend _ .

“I- is that what we are?” The hopefulness in Dream’s voice made the shorter giddy. “Can I call you my boyfriend, George?” He turned to meet bright yellow eyes, happiness making them crinkle. The older didn’t even have to think about his answer.

“I’d like that.” 

Dream hopped out of the blankets, immediately running to scoop George into a tight hug, the latter laughing loudly. This was probably the best he’d felt in a long time, even beating out the high he’d gotten off of Eret’s healing potion. This was real, and raw, and pure  _ joy _ that he never thought his numb heart would feel again. He refused to let the problems of the days before hold him down- for that one moment, he allowed himself to be happy.

“Come on, we have a lot of ground to cover today.” George said as they finally calmed down.

“You’re right, you’re right.” Dream agreed, putting George down and taking the opportunity to put his clothes on. “You’re still making breakfast though.” He said with a wink.

After a quick breakfast and a few minutes spent to pack up their belongings and butcher some more deer meat, they were strapping their swords to their backs and leaving their small home for the night to continue their journey. George was sure to put his glasses on before he left, wanting to take in everything around him in full color.

Only a few times did Dream pull out their map to check their course- other than that they just walked in an easy silence, a huge difference to the atmosphere of the day before. That day felt hopeful, with the sun on their faces contrasting the cool temperatures, and the birds’ chirps singing through the forest. 

Soon enough the sun indicated that it was noon, and the pair were setting up a lunch spot on the shore of a small lake, inhabited by herons and sparrows alike. They could probably have caught some fish to eat, but neither had the patience to do so. Besides, the venison from last night was still just as good as it had been straight off the coals.

George ripped the meat with his teeth greedily, surveying the majesty of the nature around him. It was hard to believe that kings and queens had tried once to rule these wild lands: obviously it was a waste of time to try and tame what couldn’t be tamed, to own what couldn’t be bought. No, the land belonged to the Earth, and George believed that trying to claim anything else was an insult.

The lake sparkled blue in the sunlight, the lenses of George’s glasses helping to dim the brightness a bit. The surface was still and glassy, framed by towering spruce trees and stout oaks, their leaves having taken on their fall reds, yellows, and oranges. Dream teased the older for the way he gawked at the colors, but he couldn’t help it; fall had never been so beautiful.

He looked to the side, taking in the man next to him. Dream looked at peace for the first time in a while, lunch finished and deep in thought, sitting with his legs splayed out in front of him on the grass. Carefree, like a 21 year old should be.

“I think I’m gonna go swimming.” Dream said, startling George, who definitely wasn’t staring.

“What?” The blonde stood and began to shed his clothes.

“I think that I-” He threw his shirt at the brunette with a sly grin. “-am gonna swim. Right now.”

“That water is probably freezing you know.” George deadpanned. All he received in reply was that stupid attractive grin and a wave, before Dream sprinted to the water in nothing but his boxers. “Idiot.” He whispered under his breath, but couldn’t stop the smile that washed over him as he listened to the girly shriek that left Dream’s mouth when he entered the water, then the subsequent beckoning for George to join him. 

He shook his head disappointedly but got to his feet just the same, slowly pulling his boots and socks off whilst simultaneously questioning every life choice that had led up to that moment. Soon a brown jacket, pants, and light blue shirt joined the pile of clothing on the ground, and after careful consideration his glasses ended up there too.

He walked to the edge of the water and looked down into it, bracing himself for the shock of cold that he knew was soon to follow.

“Come onnnnn grandpa.” Dream called from his place floating a few feet away. George just flipped him off- always taking the more mature route. Slowly, he waded into the icy water- it wasn’t as cold as he’d thought it would be, but still goosebumps arose on his arms and legs. The bottom of the lake, at least to where George was only submerged to his knees, was comfortably sandy. “You know if you get in all at once it’s easier to get used to.” Dream said. George scrunched up his features, not wanting to take the plunge. It was  _ cold _ .

“You’re so impatient to see me all  _ wet _ , aren’t you?” George tried to put emphasis on the innuendo, and when he looked away from the water pooling around his hips, he saw that he’d definitely done something right. Brown eyes met dilated pupils, the blackness spreading so wide that only a thin ring of gold was outlining it. His wet hair was swept back haphazardly, a few stubborn strands sticking to a freckled forehead, and his 10,000 watt smile reflected the bright noon light of the sun. 

“Maybe.” He said nonchalantly, cockiness seeping into his tone as he waded closer to the brunette, taking smaller hands in his own to pull his boyfriend further into the lake. George looked down, the sudden intensity making the back of his neck and the tips of his ears warm. “I’ve seen how quickly things can be taken away… I’m not in the business of waiting time, not with you.” His voice was rough like sandpaper, and George shivered while glancing up to be captured in an intense questioning gaze.

George now realized what that look in Dream’s eyes was that he’d been unable to name the night before, the answer slapping him across the face with the obviousness: it was desire. His breath hitched in his throat as Dream leaned in closer, bringing a dripping hand up to cup George’s cheek.

“After all this time, I still can’t believe that I finally have you.” He said softly, palm warm against George’s cheek. 

“And now that you have me, how are you going to abuse that privilege?” George asked. All the confidence on his face and in his voice was for show, though- inside, his heart was racing and his stomach was full of butterflies. Yellow eyes seemed to search for any signs of discomfort carefully for just a moment, before hesitantly closing the gap between them.

Dream’s lips were soft and warm, the light chapped texture seeming to fit in perfectly with who he was. He seemed nervous, not putting much pressure into the kiss until George brought his hands up to grip freckled shoulders. George had never kissed anyone before, so he was particularly keen to follow Dream’s lead as the taller pressed harder, instating dominance by flicking a tongue across his bottom lip. 

Dream eventually pulled back for air, chest heaving and a bright grin on his face, accompanied by gently flushed cheeks. George on the other hand, was a mess. The water helped keep him grounded in reality thankfully, because without it he’d probably think he was just dreaming.

“How… how are you so good at that?” He asked just as Dream was leaning in again. A quick peck was placed on his jawline, a shiver running down George’s spine. Dream spoke his reply softly against the pale skin.

“Intuition.” Was the only word spoken before his lips returned to George’s with a much higher urgency. Little gasps escaped both of their mouths, Dream’s arms moving to hold George in place, and George’s going to wrap around Dream’s neck and play with the hairs there. The shorter felt like he was flying; the sun was warming his shoulders, and birds were chirping back on the shore, their songs seeming to goad the pair on. These kisses had been a long time coming.

Dream’s hands moved down to squeeze George’s bare waist, then started to hesitantly drift ever so much lower. The brunette tensed a little, but tried to push away the sudden rush of discomfort. Memories were starting to make their way into his head past the barriers supplied by his euphoria- memories of his own betrayal of the man giving himself to him.

This was Dream, his childhood best friend, and the guy who he’d at least subconsciously had feelings for since they were like, 18. He was finally  _ kissing  _ him. He was getting what he wanted.

But he didn’t deserve it. He didn’t deserve the forgiveness and trust that were imbued in every connection of their lips, every place where Dream’s fingers danced across his skin and left fire in their wake.

When Dream let out a low groan of enjoyment, George found himself breaking away from the kiss and putting a bit of distance between them. His heart was racing and his skin was burning, despite the cold water. His stomach was all in knots and for some reason he felt like he was going to cry, which frustrated him even more. There was nothing to be anxious about, but somehow his chest felt like his chest had a boulder on top of it.

George looked up at Dream, whose eyes were glazed over and his lips were kissed raw. He looked beautiful, which made the expression on his face even worse for George. The blonde had clearly been embarrassed, the freckled skin of his cheeks darkened by what must’ve been a bright blush.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-“ Dream started, averting his gaze to play with his fingers just under the water’s surface.

“No, no you didn’t do anything!” George reassured. Fuck, he felt bad for making Dream upset but something in his body was just… 

“George it’s okay, I went too far. I won’t do it again if you’re not into it.” He said casually, but George could tell that there was something more there no matter how well he  _ thought  _ he could hide it. The brit wanted to kick himself for ruining the moment, because he’d  _ liked it _ up until something made him stop.

But instead of saying that, he just ended the conversation with the lamest reply ever.

“It’s okay.” George said. The pair stood there for a few moments, neither knowing what to do. “You know I still haven’t seen any proof of this ‘war’ we’re supposed to be so worried about.” The subject change was anything but smooth, awkwardness permeating the air. Dream cleared his throat, pushing a hand through his messy hair.

“I uh, bet most of the proof would be further north. Niki made it seem like any army, if it’s even real, is gonna be aways away.” He leaned back, falling once more into the cool water up to his chin. George brought fingers to his own lips for a second when Dream looked away, feeling the way they were puffy and still tingling. The place where the blonde’s fingers had dug into his hips burned like he was branded. “Either way, it’s not our problem.” Dream said. George dropped his hand quickly back into the water.

“I know, I’m just curious-” He tried to relax back into the water, but the tension wouldn’t leave. “I bet someone’s already taken care of it all anyway.” 

“Yeah, maybe.” Dream said. George opened his mouth to reply, but decided against it. He’d ruined their moment, after all- he probably wasn’t the person Dream wanted to be talking to. 

“I’ll be by our stuff, take your time.” He received a strained smile thrown over the shoulder as confirmation that he’d been heard, then began to make his way back to the lake’s edge, limbs shaking lightly with anxiety. He really had to ruin it, didn’t he.

George pulled himself out of the water easily, walked over to their pile of clothing and supplies. He dried in the sun for a while before putting his clothes and glasses on, waiting patiently for Dream. To say he felt like shit was an understatement. There was something fucking wrong with him, and it was tearing him apart that he couldn’t figure out what was triggering it.

Eventually Dream joined him on the bank, the smile having returned to his face. There was something different about it; something guarded, and it broke George’s heart that he’d been the cause. The sun had sunk a bit in the sky: there was still plenty of daylight left, but it would be best for them to make as much progress as possible that day, just in case the weather turned for the worse once again. George wrung his hands nervously, trying to think of something to say that could diffuse the tension.

_ What would Sapnap do? _

“Hey, I’m sorry about earlier-” George tried, but was waved off easily as Dream shook out his hair and began to dress, uncaring about how wet he’d be getting his clothes.

“I promise it’s not a big deal, George.” He replied. Dream put his pack and sword over his shoulders and across his back, looking off into the distance and the forest ahead. He held a hand over his eyes to block out the sun, his jawline standing out starkly. More anxiety bubbled in his stomach, thinking about the knife that Bad had held to his throat. “Hey George?”

“Hm?” The pair began to walk once again, a slight breeze blowing to dry their wet hair. Dream stayed quiet for a few seconds, George turning his head to glance at the blonde. His hair looked almost brown when wet, but had an unmistakable golden sheen to it in the sunlight as he kept his face forward, white scar standing out starkly against sun-reddened skin. He seemed to be considering something, his brow furrowed.

“You know you can tell me anything, right?” George paused in step, the question taking him off guard.

“Of course I do.” He responded easily. Dream was the one person alive who he trusted unconditionally. Whatever was wrong with him wasn’t a matter of distrust, it was a matter of… well, he didn’t quite know. Fear, maybe?

He remembered the screams of agony that had left Dream’s lips as the tip of George’s knife pierced his chest, but tried to push them away and continue walking.

Fear, that was it.

“I care about you so much, I want to know what’s happening in your head.” Dream reached out a cautious hand to take hold of his boyfriend’s, interlocking their fingers.

“There’s nothing to know, I promise.” George said with a smile. Dream seemed to let the matter go at that, though it seemed like he had more to say on the subject. The brunette didn’t mind the subject drop though, because the more they talked about George being an open book and not hiding anything, the more obvious it would become to the both of them that he was lying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey I hope you enjoyed the chapter and the story so far!! I love you all so much! Make sure to leave comments and kudos as always! For fic updates follow me on twitter @Azkaabanter <3

**Author's Note:**

> It’s good to be back guys!!! This story is even more ambitious and exciting than “Dreamy, Believe Me” and I’m SO EXCITED for you all to see how the story unfolds!! That being said, this will be a HUGE undertaking for me, and your comments are going to be the main thing keeping me going. 
> 
> For story updates, follow me on Twitter @Azkaabanter


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